Looking For The Perfect Downtown Staycation? Read This!

Between juggling a full-time career, attending events and being a mum, there is very little time for leisurely activities in our busy world, so when the opportunity popped up to stay at one of Auckland’s most stylish boutique downtown hotels for a night, of course, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Packing up the car with our suitcase, and kid safety secured at his grandparents' house for the evening, my husband Paddy and I had three goals for this staycation - to eat, drink and sleep, and that we did! Fable Auckland is conveniently located in downtown Auckland, nestled amongst the (dangerously close) luxury stores on lower Queen Street and housed in a heritage building steeped in history, Fable is the perfect location for a couple like us wanting a local staycation for a bit of R&R or out-of-towners looking to experience the best of Auckland city.

In a part of Auckland that is notoriously known for its lack of parking spaces, Fable offers a convenient valet parking option where you can pull up at a designated spot outside the hotel and hand the concierge your keys. Once checked in, we were guided to one of their upper-level suites. The vibe of the hotel has an air of luxury with stunning marble floors and a hero chandelier in the foyer. Our room also echoed this aesthetic. Chic, cosy and well laid out with a seating area, kitchenette, a bed fit for royalty, and a large shower in the bathroom, with an honourable mention of the bathroom sink lighting which ensured a seamless makeup application process for our later dinner reservation.

While we waited for dinner we wandered downtown and did a spot of shopping at Commercial Bay which is located just a few meters from the hotel, followed by a walk around the waterfront - the perfect afternoon if you ask me! Having worked up an appetite, we then headed back to the hotel for our dinner reservation at Fable’s in-house restaurant, Cooke’s. We started with an espresso martini and two entrees - the house-made ravioli with burrata, sage, orange and brown butter and the king scallops with caviar, corn puree, pearl crackers and capsicum salsa. Both of which were delicious - I’m big on entree’s and if I had my way, I would have ordered a second round of each but we couldn’t go past the mains menu which made it difficult to choose our selections as everything sounded insatiable!

Unable to choose just one meal each, we opted to share the fish of the day which was so fresh and flavoursome. It came with potato strings, chimichurri, chilli lime coconut sauce and dehydrated peas. We also ordered the Canter Valley pan-seared duck breast medium-rare which was cooked to perfection and so tender. This came with lentils, broad beans, baby carrots and carrot and honey jus. We washed down our meals with a glass of velvety red each that came highly recommended by our server from their extensive wine list.

We rolled out of the restaurant and back upstairs to get ready for our pre-booked sauna which was the perfect end to our evening. Before jumping into the king-sized bed for an early night (and a child-free lay-in the next morning). There really is nothing like a comfortable hotel bed with fresh linen to send you into a deep sleep. If you find yourself having the energy to head out on the town after dinner to experience the wonders of Auckland city, there is a 24-hour room service menu for those wanting a late-night snack before hitting the hay.

Well rested, we headed back downstairs to Cooke’s the next morning for breakfast and coffee before checking out at 11 am and heading back to reality. The overall experience was exactly what we wanted in an inner-city stay. The staff were exceptionally accommodating and everything was in close proximity to the hotel that there was never a moment we had to walk far.

To book yourself a night at this luxe boutique downtown and a dinner you’ll be talking about for weeks to come you can check out their room and menu selection here.