New hotels in Napier

Napier is New Zealand's Art Deco capital, rebuilt almost entirely in the style after the catastrophic 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake levelled the city. We track two hotels here, both open: Criterion Hotel Napier, inside a heritage-listed 1932 Spanish Mission building, and Swiss-Belboutique Napier, the city's first internationally branded hotel. Both sit within walking distance of Napier's Art Deco core and the Marine Parade waterfront.

What to do

A weekend in Napier

Join a walking tour with the Napier Art Deco Trust to see the city's concentration of 1930s architecture, or explore independently around Emerson Street and Marine Parade, where Criterion Hotel Napier sits inside its own heritage-listed 1932 building. The National Aquarium of New Zealand and the Sunken Gardens, both on Marine Parade, are a short walk from both hotels we track, along with the Pania of the Reef statue looking out over the bay, and the historic fishing village of Ahuriri, just outside the centre, has a growing strip of cafés, bars and galleries worth an afternoon.

A full week

With more time, Hawke's Bay's wine country has more than 70 wineries and 30 cellar doors, with Mission Estate, New Zealand's oldest winery, Church Road and Crab Farm all within easy reach of the city centre. Cape Kidnappers, home to the world's largest gannet colony on towering white cliffs, and Te Mata Peak, a short drive south, are both worth a half-day, and the MTG Hawke's Bay museum in central Napier is worth an hour for background on the 1931 earthquake and the city's rebuild. Napier's Art Deco Festival, held every February and drawing more than 40,000 visitors in period costume, is worth timing a longer visit around. Hastings, Napier's twin city about 20 minutes inland, was rebuilt in its own distinct Spanish Mission style after the same 1931 earthquake and is worth a half-day for travelers who want to compare the two rebuilds.

Where to stay

Napier South

Criterion Hotel Napier, at 48 Emerson Street, occupies a heritage-listed 1932 Spanish Mission building: one of Napier's best-known Art Deco facades, designed by architect E. A. Williams and built by contractor W. M. Angus after the original 1874 hotel on the site was destroyed in the 1931 earthquake. The building is listed on the New Zealand Heritage List.

Munroe & Raffles Streets

Swiss-Belboutique Napier, open since December 2021, converted a former PwC office building, the accounting firm's Hawke's Bay office from 2007, at the corner of Munroe and Raffles streets into the city's first internationally branded hotel, a 52-room property with a bar and lounge, a fitness centre and 25 secure on-site car parks, within walking distance of both the Art Deco core and Marine Parade.

Which hotel for your trip

Travelers wanting a heritage Art Deco stay

Criterion Hotel Napier's 1932 Spanish Mission building, listed on the New Zealand Heritage List, puts guests directly inside the city's defining architectural style, on the same site the original Criterion Hotel occupied from 1874 until the earthquake.

Travelers wanting an internationally branded, business-friendly stay

Swiss-Belboutique Napier's fitness centre, secure on-site parking and Swiss-Belhotel management make it the more conventional choice for business travelers and longer stays.

Wine-country travelers

Both hotels sit close enough to central Napier to make a Hawke's Bay wine day trip an easy add, with Mission Estate, Church Road and Crab Farm all within a short drive of either address.

Frequently asked questions

What is Napier known for?

Its concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture, rebuilt almost entirely after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake destroyed much of the city.

What is the history of the Criterion Hotel Napier building?

The original Criterion Hotel opened on the site in 1874 and was destroyed in the 1931 earthquake; architect E. A. Williams designed its 1932 Spanish Mission replacement, now listed on the New Zealand Heritage List.

What was the first internationally branded hotel in Napier?

Swiss-Belboutique Napier, which opened in December 2021 inside a converted former PwC office building.

Is Napier a good base for Hawke's Bay wine touring?

Yes: Mission Estate, Church Road and Crab Farm are all a short drive from the city centre, part of a region with more than 70 wineries.

Are Napier's hotels close to the Art Deco core?

Yes, both hotels we track sit within walking distance of Napier's Art Deco streetscape and the Marine Parade waterfront.

When is Napier's Art Deco Festival?

Every February, drawing more than 40,000 visitors who dress in period costume for a week of jazz-era events across the city.

Is Napier close to Cape Kidnappers?

Yes: the gannet colony is a short drive south of the city, often combined with a Hawke's Bay wine day trip.

Is Hastings the same as Napier?

No: Hastings is a separate, neighbouring city about 20 minutes inland, rebuilt in its own Spanish Mission style after the same 1931 earthquake that levelled Napier.

What caused Napier's Art Deco rebuild?

The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, one of New Zealand's deadliest natural disasters, destroyed much of the city's original Victorian-era buildings, which were rebuilt within a few years in the architectural styles fashionable at the time: chiefly Art Deco and Spanish Mission.