SO/ Auckland opened in late November 2018 inside the former Reserve Bank of New Zealand building on Customs Street East, Accor's SO/ lifestyle brand's first Pacific-region property. The 130-room hotel, designed with New Zealand fashion label WORLD, threads the building's history as the country's gold vault through its interiors, restaurant, rooftop bar and spa.
The essentials
Group Accor · SO/
Opening November 2018
Rooms & suites 130 rooms
Segment Lifestyle
Designer WORLD (New Zealand fashion label, design partner)
Entry rate From NZ$295 Official website → The place 67 Customs Street East, in Auckland's CBD, inside the former Reserve Bank of New Zealand headquarters.
The concept SO/ Auckland occupies the former Reserve Bank of New Zealand building at 67 Customs Street East — a structure that once held the country's gold reserves and had never previously operated as a hotel. Accor opened it in late November 2018 as SO/'s first Pacific-region address, with New Zealand fashion label WORLD as design partner: an emblem drawing on Auckland's volcanic geology and the building's banking history recurs across staff uniforms, wallpaper, in-room artwork and neon installations, alongside gold accents in the rooms as a nod to the vault the building once guarded.
Dining & wellness Harbour Society, a 15th-floor restaurant from French chef Marc De Passorio, and HI-SO, a rooftop bar, sit alongside MIXO Bar in the lobby lounge — home to a Marcel Wanders-designed 'Mega Chandelier' — plus Javalab Café, SO/SPA and a 20-metre heated indoor pool.
Our take Turning a central bank's old vault building into a design hotel is a sharper concept than most adaptive-reuse projects manage, and WORLD's involvement keeps the gold-reserve backstory from reading as a gimmick.
Google guest reviews 4.4/5 · 1087 reviews
Lovely hotel and genuinely friendly staff, but unfortunately the overall experience was not the dream weekend we were hoping for.
Our room was not ready when we arrived, despite having early check-in as Accor Plus members, which meant the stay got off to a disappointing start.
We booked a city hotel expecting to enjoy a lovely view, so it was very disappointing to find the TV positioned in the middle of the window (not able to be moved), significantly obscuring our view.
The macarons on the plate were a lovely touch, but unfortunately they had been placed on a bed of apple purée, which made them soggy and inedible. It was a thoughtful gesture, but another example of the small details not quite landing.
We were also disappointed that the rooftop bar was closed on both Sunday and Monday, as we had been looking forward to enjoying a cocktail there. Instead, we had a less-than-satisfactory cocktail in the restaurant, where only two cocktail options were available.
Another strange detail was that although our bed linen was changed, there was no top sheet — just the uncovered duvet inner, which felt unusual and not particularly comfortable.
The shower temperature was also temperamental and very difficult to regulate, which added to the sense that the room lacked the comfort we expected.
Overall, while the staff were warm and welcoming, the stay lacked the attention to detail we would expect from a hotel of this standard. It was a real let-down, especially for a weekend we had been looking forward to.
Accor Plus card is unable to be used in this SO Hotel restaurant.
This hotel was, without question, the biggest disappointment of our entire trip and nowhere near deserving of its so-called 5-star rating.
From the moment we dealt with the hotel, everything seemed harder than it needed to be. We simply wanted to extend our stay by one night and were told it couldn’t be done. Strangely enough, they were perfectly happy to let us stay if we paid a much higher rate directly through the hotel. The second we pointed out that Booking.com had the exact same room available for less, the story suddenly changed. Even after Booking.com contacted the hotel, they initially refused the request before finally approving it after more back and forth. It felt like they were trying to squeeze extra money out of us rather than help a paying guest.
Things only got worse when we checked in. The room we were given looked nothing like the King Studio Room we had booked online. It appeared to be a completely different room category. Reception insisted it was the correct room despite it clearly not matching the advertised photos. Only after we challenged it and refused to accept the explanation were we eventually moved.
Given our earlier interaction about extending our booking, I’m extremely suspicious that we were deliberately placed in a lower-category room because we declined to pay the hotel’s higher direct rate and instead booked through Booking.com using my Genius complimentary room upgrade. I obviously can’t prove that was the case, but the timing makes it very difficult not to question it. The room was so obviously different from what we had booked, yet staff repeatedly insisted nothing was wrong until we pushed the issue. Had we simply accepted their explanation, I’m convinced we would have spent our entire stay in the wrong room.
The worst part was the cleanliness. Pulling back the sheets to find multiple hairs throughout the bed in a hotel charging luxury prices is absolutely disgusting. There is simply no excuse for that. If they can’t even manage clean bedding, it makes you wonder what else isn’t being cleaned properly. While the manager handled the complaint professionally by inspecting the room, arranging fresh bedding and apologising, none of that changes the fact that it should never have happened in the first place.
The bathroom design in the original room was another baffling decision. There was virtually no privacy around the toilet, making it completely unsuitable for couples unless you’re comfortable sharing every bathroom moment with each other. It honestly felt like style had been prioritised over basic functionality. Thankfully, the replacement room had a much better layout, but that doesn’t excuse the original design.
At the end of the day, friendly staff can’t compensate for dirty rooms, misleading room presentations, poor breakfast service and an overall experience that falls dramatically short of what this hotel advertises.
This property sells itself as luxury accommodation, but based on our experience it simply isn’t. We left wondering how this hotel maintains its rating when basic cleanliness and quality control appear to be such obvious issues.
I would not stay here again, nor would I recommend it to anyone expecting the standard of a genuine 5-star hotel.
Stayed at SO Auckland for two nights. A great location in downtown Auckland with plenty of bar and restaurant options in easy walking distance. The staff were friendly and the facilities at the hotel were good. The in room bathtub turned out to be a really good touch. The public spaces within the hotel especially the lobby is very art nouveau and is both bold and intimate at the same time.
I recently had another fantastic stay at SO/ Auckland, and it continues to exceed expectations every time.
From the moment I arrived, my Accor Platinum status was genuinely recognised and appreciated. I was graciously upgraded to the stunning Loft Suite, which made the stay feel even more special.
A lovely Easter-inspired welcome amenity awaited me in the room, along with welcome drinks at Moxo Bar, both thoughtful touches that set the tone for the experience. I also thoroughly enjoyed access to Club Signature, where the afternoon tea and evening drinks with canapés were beautifully presented and a real highlight.
The following morning, the buffet breakfast was exceptional—easily the best hotel breakfast in Auckland. Paired with the incredible views over the Auckland Harbour, it was the perfect way to start the day.
A special mention must go to Mica at reception, whose attentiveness and genuine warmth stood out. Her customer service was outstanding and truly elevated the stay.
Overall, a seamless and luxurious experience from start to finish. I will definitely be back again soon.
As an eventstylist team, we’re happy to share that the dinner held in the Waitemata Room last Saturday was a great success.
A special thank you to Florian, the restaurant manager, for the prompt responses and seamless communication throughout the planning process. It made a huge difference.
The concierge team been so supportive to our team, offering lots of help on the day, and the restaurant staff were also incredibly friendly.
The view from Harbour Society is absolutely stunning, and the private dining room minimum spend is very reasonable. It’s a perfect venue for small, intimate events.
Highly recommended and looking forward to coming back again!
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