Fable Auckland

Fresh air is good for you. A lack of fresh air…isn’t. A lack of fresh air and being wedged into a small seat for sitting, sleeping and eating, for 30 solid hours, really isn’t either. But it’s a means to an end; and when the end is the inviting city of Auckland, the beauty of New Zealand’s vast open country beyond, and the more immediate appeal of cosy hideaway Fable Auckland, a lack of fresh air and an awkward journey in a small seat is absolutely 100 per cent fine by me – in fact, I’d do it all over again.

After 30 hours in-flight, I step out of the taxi blinking in the daylight and lock eyes on my final destination. The prospect of a cool shower and a fresh pair of pants is very alluring – and necessary: the reality is that I look like I’d be lucky to get a room in the grimiest of hostels and definitely don’t exude the air of a luxury-hotel guest. I’m aware that the best hotels are schooled in treating everyone who steps over the threshold with the same impeccable attention, however unwashed the guest’s hair may be; still, my expectations aren’t high for my reception.

And yet, the warmth of the welcome gets me every time. I think our Antipodean friends are particularly good at it. You can return from riding bareback across an outback station for five hours, and, instead of retreating at the sight of your dust-covered limbs, the doorman metaphorically embraces you, taking the sort of unfeigned interest in you and your journey that makes you think you don’t look so terrible. All the while magically summoning a deliciously chilled iced tea and whisking you through to reception. It’s the sort of heroic hosting HFable Auckland showed me. And it was heavenly. The hotel, I should note here, smells amazing. Scent is something I only seem to notice if it’s either extremely good or face-crumpling-ly bad. I don’t know how hotels manage it, but this place smells subtly expensive, in a way that’s carefully considered, so as not to overpower you but to invoke something subconsciously pleasurable. Nice. 

Stepping into a boutique hotel bedroom is one of my all-time favourite things. It’s an incredibly indulgent experience. You know that time and care has gone into preparing for your arrival, and – if I’m perfectly honest – as soon as I shut the door behind me I get a rush of excitement. I whip around every corner, opening the cupboards, taking in the view, ducking into the bathroom, touching the towels, delighting over the dressing gowns and so on. Hotel rooms like this one – with its elegant Art Deco-inspired interior, classic crisp white sheets, enormous bed and extremely spacious shower – promise a heavenly stay. 

With Commercial Harbour and Bay just a five-minute walk away, this hotel couldn’t be better placed for strolling around the city. We find a waterfront spot for lunch and, as we sit there, along comes a man to fire a cannon. No, we weren’t expecting it either. A small cannon, but a cannon nonetheless. It turns out to be an attraction run by the New Zealand Maritime Museum; the cannon firing dates back to the 19th century, when it was used to regulate the ships’ timepieces, and each day at noon it attracts a small but jolly crowd. I’ve included this here because if you’re in the vicinity at the relevant hour and need to stave off jet-lag, this little jolt will do the trick. 

Winding our way back to Fable after a full first day in Auckland (that we filled with a walk up to Ponsonby Road, followed by crisp glasses of local Sauvignon, while we basked in the first rays of sunshine we’d seen in far too many months), we set our sights on dinner. The half-open kitchen runs along one side of hotel restaurant Cooke’s – near enough to see the chefs theatrically preparing dishes, but not so near that you need worry about your new wide-leg trousers going up in flames should you absentmindedly brush up against a grill. With a menu that’s full of New Zealand produce, both organic and locally sourced, and an ambience that inspires a slower pace than that which dictates my dining habits in a wild working week, dinner here is a delight. Naturally, the wine menu has a variety of home-grown grapes, including a Pinot Noir my palate still desires. And, if you arrive here and find yourself wavering over the dessert list, don’t: you’ll have the divine pumpkin-and-ginger pudding with lemon and lavender custard.

Fable Auckland is housed in a heritage building that has served a variety of purposes since it was built in 1928: tea house, china shop, now a history-laden hotel, which – with its welcoming staff, elegant interiors and delectable dining – stands tall as the ultimate traveller’s treat and a worthy Smith hotel, indeed.