If you’re travelling to Auckland and want to stretch your budget a little further give one of these 3 star hotels in Auckland a try. They’re the best budget hotels Auckland has to offer.
3 Star Hotels in Auckland CBD
Holiday Inn Auckland City Centre is at the very top end of 3 star hotels, it’s better than some 4 stars to be honest. It opened in 2022 and is a purpose built hotel not a converted office building, so the rooms and layout are well designed. It has a restaurant and offers free breakfast! The location is amazing for the price. Just off Queen Street a short walk to shopping, Auckland’s waterfront, or SkyCity.
IBIS Budget Auckland Central is a 3 star hotel offering compact affordable accommodation in a very central location. Because it’s just off Auckland’s Queen Street it’s in easy walking distance of any of Auckland CBDs main attractions. Therefore this hotel is great for anyone travelling on a budget. But you should keep your expectations as low as they keep the price, this is aimed at the bottom end of 3 star hotels in Auckland.
President Hotel Auckland
President Hotel is a cheap 3 star hotel with a great location in downtown Auckland. The rooms are clean and well kept, so it offers excellent value for money for anyone travelling on a budget.
The two room family suite is great value for those travelling with children. The President Hotel is close to Queen Street, the SkyTower and in easy walking distance of Viaduct Harbour or Spark Arena. This is probably the best located 3 star hotel in Auckland.
Auckland City Hotel
This 3 star Hotel is in a historic building in Auckland’s central business district. It’s not the most desirable location in the CBD, but it is in walking distance from everywhere you want to be. So if you can’t afford to be in the Viaduct this is a great option.
It’s clean and well kept with consistently good reviews. There is some car parking available. This 3 star hotel has a little more character than many in others in the cheaper price range and is a great value budget hotel.
VR Queen Street Hotel
Located near the top end of Queen Street the VR Queen Street Hotel is a lower priced 3 star hotel. It’s still in the Auckland CBD but it is near the top of Queen Street. So if you’re holidaying here you can walk anywhere in Auckland Central, but it’s a bit of a hike back up the hill to your hotel. You should consider it a part of your fitness regime, then you won’t mind so much.
The hotel itself is at the nice end of 3 star or the bottom end of 4 star. To be honest you’ll probably be staying here because of the price or lack of vacancy of other hotels, but it’s actually not a bad place to spend a few days. It’s close to K’Roads bars and nightclubs. It’s also close to the Auckland Town Hall and Aotea square.
Haka Hotel Suites Auckland City
Located on K’Road in the top of Auckland’s CBD Haka Hotel is in a different part of town to any of the other Central Hotels. K Road is known for its vibrant nightlife with plenty of bars and nightclubs expect some noise (though the rooms are soundproofed) and plenty of drunken idiots on the streets on a Friday or Saturday night.
This is a great location if you’re one of the drunken idiots. The hotel itself is really nice. It’s still pretty new (as of 2019) and things are well maintained. It’s perfect for younger travellers. Reviews are generally very good which can be hard to maintain for a cheap hotel. Haka Hotel is a well price quality Hotel in a location that won’t suit everyone. However for some the location will be part of the attraction.
It’s walking distance to anywhere if you are fit. Even Eden Park is only 20 minutes walk. Ponsonby is closeby and the Viaduct is a pleasant 30 minute downhill stroll. Less fit visitors might want to take a bus or uber back.This hotel straddles the border of #tar Hotel and 4 star. As such it offers great value because it’s priced like a 3 star hotel.
3 Star Hotels Near Parnell Rose Gardens
Auckland Rose Park Hotel
As the name suggests this 3 star hotel is located next to Auckland’s Parnell Rose Gardens. It’s a quiet location away from the CBD but still very close. If you’re fit and want to make a day of it the city is a long walk away. However most people will take the link bus or a taxi. Rose Park offers free parking to hotel guests.
Parnell is a very upmarket suburb with a great shopping area and plenty of bars and restaurants. They are not renowned for being to rowdy though. It’s also handy to Newmarket (a 20 minute walk away). Mission Bay is also closeby. This is a great location for older guests and families with younger children.
Quality Hotel Parnell
The Quality Hotel Parnell is located out of the main shopping village in Parnell. Both Newmarket and Parnell are in walkable distance if you are fit, but you are not really in either location. If you stay here and are visiting Auckland CBD you’ll probably end up using a lot of taxi’s or learn the Auckland bus system. This hotel offers free parking.
The hotel itself is a really nice 3 star hotel with great views from some rooms. It has a basic restaurant and bar and Parnell is a very safe upmarket suburb right next to Auckland CBD. It offers great value for the proximity to the CBD and is a good spot for tourists on a budget.
3 Star Hotels Near Western Springs
The Surrey Hotel Grey Lynn
The Surrey Hotel is located in Grey Lynn. It’s right on the fringe of the city. In easy distance of Auckland CBD on an electric scooter, or it’s a cheap bus ride. This is an English style hotel with a pub attached. Great for families with younger children because it’s really close to Auckland Zoo, MOTAT, Western Springs and the Auckland CBD. It’s also only a 20 minute walk from Eden Park.
This is a nice 3 star Hotel with some genuine character, making it perfect for older travelers and families. The Surrey Hotel also offers free parking so it’s great for anyone with a car.
3 Star Hotels in Ellerslie
IBIS Hotel Ellerslie is cheaper than the adjoining Novotel. It’s a 3 star so keep your expectations in check. This is a great location next to Ellerslie Race Course and close to the Greenlane Showgrounds. It’s popular with budget business travellers and families. It’s not really a romantic get away.
3 Star Hotels in Remuera
The Devereux Boutique Hotel
This 3 star boutique hotel is located in one of Auckland’s wealthiest residential suburbs Remuera. The Devereux is a charming old building with rooms of varying levels of luxury. It’s close to Newmarket, and Mission Bay but not really walking distance, even so this is a great hotel for older guests. It’s also good if you’ve got a car as the hotel has free parking.
3 Star Hotels in North Shore Auckland
The Poenamo Hotel
The Poenamo Hotel is a popular 3 Star Hotel in Auckland’s North Shore. They have a pool, a play ground and plenty of family rooms making it a popular accommodation choice for families with younger children. Some of the rooms are pretty dated, this is not a fancy hotel but is a reasonable standard of accommodation for families on a budget with Family suites that sleep 5 available for a little over $200 per night.
VR Takapuna Hotel
VR Takapuna Hotel is a 3 star hotel on Auckland’s North Shore. Offering views back towards the city an a mixture of 1 or 2 bedroom suites. The Hotel has a restaurant and bar with with nice views. It claims to be a 5 star hotel will “redefine what you expect from a five star resort destination”. I’m not sure it will redefine it in a good way. The negative reviews they have may be from over selling. If you are looking for 5 star try the Hilton or the new Park Hyatt. This is a top quality 3 star hotel in my opinion. If you go in with that in mind you won’t be disappointed. It’s close to Bayswater Marina which has a ferry service to Auckland CBD.
What to expect from a 3 star hotel in Auckland?
3 star hotels are usually a little smaller and a little further away from the places you really want to be. And while they should have all of the facilities you really need, they’re not usually places you look forward to going to stay.
They’re typically are a place to stay when budget is more important than comfort. They should have a restaurant, but it will usually be fairly basic. They’ll often not have air conditioning, the rooms are usually a little smaller with cheaper furnishings and less stylish.
Don’t expect a pool, valet parking or a concierge. But you should still expect daily housekeeping, a private bathroom, a comfortable bed, and a high standard of cleanliness.
Choose your 3 star Hotel in Auckland carefully as there can be a lot of difference in facilities for a small difference in price. Look for the best location for your planned activities. Take into account your age and how you plan to spend your time. If you’re going to be in a nightclub most of the night then you won’t need to worry about noise but if you’re the type that’s early to bed choose a 3 star hotel a little further away from the centre of town, as a cheap 3 star hotel in a central location is usually noisy.
If you don’t like the sound of 3 star hotel then up your budget in line with your expectations and try one of Auckland’s 4 star hotels instead.