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Auckland · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in CBD, Auckland

Fiona Gallagher

Fiona Gallagher Australia and New Zealand

Updated 1 August 2026 · 12 Auckland hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Auckland, out of the 12 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.3 down to 3.8.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $42.

Haka House Auckland K' Road

Highest rated of the five

Haka House Auckland K' Road

★★★★★4.3 from 571 reviews

Haka House Auckland K' Road comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.3 from 571 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under CBD and around $42 a night on the dates we checked.

12 hotels in Auckland qualified for this list and five made it. JO&JOE Auckland is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Kitchenettebreakfast on your own schedule

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All five, ranked

  1. Haka House Auckland K' Road1

    Haka House Auckland K' Road

    ★★★★★4.3 from 571 reviews

    • Kitchen

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  2. JO&JOE Auckland2

    JO&JOE Auckland

    ★★★★★4.4 from 98 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  3. Abstract Hotel3

    Abstract Hotel

    ★★★★★4 from 400 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Accessible

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  4. Hobson Lodge4

    Hobson Lodge

    ★★★★★4.3 from 204 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Accessible

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  5. Edit Auckland Central5

    Edit Auckland Central

    ★★★★★3.8 from 85 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible
    • Airport shuttle

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How this list was put together

12 Auckland hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Fiona Gallagher

Fiona Gallagher Australia and New Zealand

Half her year is already on research boats, so holidays are deliberately dry land. Long-distance hiking routes in the off season, alone, with nothing being measured.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.