Hotel review: Museum Art Hotel Wellington

If you are looking for a place to stay in Wellington on your next New Zealand holiday, you can’t beat the waterfront location of the Museum Art Hotel and its unique and quirky décor are definitely a talking point.

The hotel:

As the name suggests, staying here is like being inside a plush art museum. The communal areas are decorated with heavy furnishings and an exotic and ecletic art collection.

The hotel is comprised of two separate sections; the hotel wing and the residence wing. Almost every wall features individual artworks, many of which are for sale, and all of which have a story behind them.

The art is predominantly from former owner Chris Parkin’s private collection, including an MV Agusta Tamburini F4 1000c four-cylinder sports bike in the lobby.

The rooms:

The rooms are divided between apartment and hotel styles – apartments come with small kitchenettes and washer-driers – but there's such a range of decorations and views that it's probably worth going through them all on their website before you make a choice.

Staying in the hotel wing means you have harbor views on waking plus all the bells and whistles. Enjoy flat-screen satellite TVs, little notes left by your door telling you how windy it's going to be tomorrow, heated pool, sauna, fitness centre, spa, 24-hour room service, free lobby wi-fi and beautifully boxed toiletries.

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The restaurant:

The hotel's on-site restaurant and bar, Hippopotamus, has the same lavish décor as the rest of the hotel and serves many fine dining options throughout the day, including high tea.

The restaurant serves French cuisine, with mains ranging between NZ$35-50 and the art-lined dining room doubles as breakfast room so you can check it out in daylight hours as well.

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Location:

The hotel is opposite Wellington’s beautiful harbour and New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, making it just a few minutes’ walk from the diverse shopping, dining, entertainment and nightlife that New Zealand’s capital has to offer.

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Exploring beyond the hotel in Wellington:

In a word, Wellington. In four: food, culture, beer and shopping.

Make sure you pop over the road to Te Papa and for Peter Jackson and Thunderbirds fans, a trip to Weta is essential.

Wellington shopping always throws up the odd surprise with a slew of vintage stores right on the doorstep.

Food and beer in Wellington are a feature on their own but it's worth mentioning a few of our favourites like Garage Projec and The Bruhaus.

Hotel rooms as the Museum Art Hotel start from $295 (NZ$329) per night.

The writer was a guest of the hotel and Positively Wellington Tourism.