Haere mai, welcome to Pōneke Wellington! The conferences will be held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) and Victoria University of Wellington, which are a 2km walk apart along the waterfront. We will also have optional visits to the Te Papa collections and Earth Sciences New Zealand’s Gretta Point site.
Accomodation
Wellington has a wide range of accommodation options, including big chain hotels, smaller hotels and motels, and Airbnb rentals.
Larger hotels
- InterContinental Wellington ★★★★★
- Arguably, Wellington’s premier international luxury hotel
- Prime waterfront/CBD location
- Large rooms, pool, gym, Club Lounge, and extensive conference facilities
- Particularly popular with government, corporate, and international visitors
- Sofitel Wellington ★★★★★
- Luxury French-inspired hotel near Parliament and the Botanic Garden
- Excellent restaurant and premium service
- Consistently highly rated by guests
- Mövenpick Hotel Wellington ★★★★★
- Modern five-star hotel on The Terrace
- Known for harbour views, an indoor pool, and family-friendly amenities
- Frequently ranked among Wellington’s best luxury hotels
- Rydges Wellington ★★★★½
- Popular business hotel on the waterfront
- Large room inventory and easy access to the Railway Station and CBD
- One of the city’s most commonly booked hotels.
- James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor ★★★★
- Long-established Wellington institution
- Convenient location beside the Cable Car and Lambton Quay
- One of Wellington’s highest-volume hotels for conferences and group travel
Independent & Boutique Hotels
- QT Wellington ★★★★★
- Wellington’s most distinctive design hotel
- Known for its extensive art collection and creative aesthetic
- An excellent option for delegates seeking something memorable.
- Ohtel Wellington ★★★★★
- Small luxury boutique hotel in Oriental Bay
- Individually furnished rooms and harbour views
- Frequently recommended for visitors seeking a premium local experience
- Bolton Hotel ★★★★★
- Independently owned luxury hotel
- Spacious rooms and suites
- Consistently among Wellington’s highest-rated hotels on review platforms
- The Intrepid Hotel
- Boutique property on Cuba Street
- Stylish conversion of a heritage building
- Particularly popular with visitors wanting to stay in Wellington’s cultural quarter
- Naumi Hotel Wellington
- Colourful, design-focused boutique hotel near Cuba Street
- Popular with younger travellers and those looking for something less conventional
Motels & More Budget-Friendly Accommodation
- Haka House Wellington
- Wellington’s leading backpacker/hostel-style accommodation
- Centrally located opposite the waterfront and close to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Offers both private rooms and shared accommodation
- U Residence Hotel
- Apartment-style accommodation
- Central Courtenay Place location
- Self-contained units make it good value for longer stays
- Sojourn Apartment Hotel (Ghuznee Street or Riddiford Street)
- Ghuznee Street is closer to the venues
- Consistently among the highest-rated accommodation options in Wellington
- Modern serviced-apartment style rooms
- Attracts guests wanting hotel comfort at a more moderate price point
- Ramada by Wyndham Wellington Taranaki Street
- Modern apartment hotel
- Good value and central location
- Consistently strong guest reviews
- Quest Apartment Hotels (various locations)
- Reliable apartment-style accommodation popular with business travellers
- Good option for longer stays or delegates wanting kitchen facilities
Getting around
The city is very walkable (weather permitting), with plenty of public art to explore along the way. Wellington Train Station (next to Victoria University) connects to regions north of the city. It is also not far from the ferry terminals serving the South Island and destinations across Wellington Harbour.
Taxis
Rental bikes/scooters
Easy to find in most public places. There are some restrictions on where they can be ridden and parked.
This is a vibrant city with extensive food and drink options. Here are some of your local hosts’ favourites to help point you in the direction of somewhere interesting, good, and different.
Food
- American South – Sweet Mother’s Kitchen
- Asian – Aunty Mena’s (very delicious vegan food)
- Asian – Mr Go’s (Asian fusion)
- Burmese – Mabels (very highly recommended)
- Cambodian – Siem Reap
- Chinese – Dragons
- Chinese – Chongqing Kitchen (Szechuan hotpot)
- Chinese – K C Cafe (delicious and good value)
- Ethiopian – Mother of Coffee
- Fusion – Dragonfly
- Ice-cream – Duck Island (several locations incl. Cuba St and the waterfront New World)
- Indian – Chaat Street (very highly recommended)
- Indian – Flavors of Rajasthan
- Indian – Jugnu’s Little India on Blair St
- Italian – Nicolinis
- Italian – 1154 Pastaria
- Japanese – Kazu Yakitori & Sake Bar
- Japanese – Kazaguruma (cosy Japanese restaurant with good food)
- Malaysian – Rasa
- Malaysian – Little Penang (very highly recommended)
- Malaysian – Istana
- Middle Eastern/Turkish – Kisa (very highly recommended)
- Syrian – Damascus (very highly recommended)
- Thai – Som Tum Thai (order from the street food menu)
- Vietnamese – The Old Quarter (very highly recommended)
- Vietnamese – Pho Viet
- Western/Italian – Scopa
- Western – Fidels
- Western – Common Sense Organics (excellent wild venison pies, close to Te Papa)
- Western – Moore Wilsons (boutique supermarket, great bakery & cheeses, recommended)
- Western – Ekim Burger
- Western – Pizza Pomodoro (very highly recommended)
- Western – Southern Cross
- Western – Foxglove (fancy/semi-fine, great location)
- Western – Dockside (fancy/semi-fine, great location)
- Western – The Chippery (gourmet fish and chips)
- Western – Café L’affare
- Western – Ortega (seafood)
- Western – The Crab Shack (semi-fine, waterfront, seafood)
- Western – Logan Brown (fine/semi-fine NZ dining – Expensive)
- Western – The Hippopotamus (excellent fine/semi-fine dining – expensive)
- Western – Bambuchisan (near Hataitai, close to where many are staying)
- Western – Southern Cross (close to Te Papa)
- Western – Prefab (café/brunch, close to Te Papa)
Drinks
- Rogue and Vagabond – outdoor drinking, live music, craft beer, good snacks
- Little Beer Quarter – atmosphere, large selection, including obscure European brews
- Malthouse – extremely large beer selection incl. obscure European brews
- Hashigo Zake – craft beer, Japanese spin
- Panhead – Wellington brewery, convenient location
- The Library – cocktails/spirits, 2-4-1 cocktails Wed, 2-4-1 desserts Tues, recommended
- Night flower – unnusual venue and cocktails
- Boneface Tavern – craft beer.
- Bebemos – craft beer & live music
- Welsh Dragon – a traditional Welsh Pub in an old public toilet, open late (much better than it sounds!)
- JJ Murphys – a traditional Irish pub that is a cheap place with good atmosphere to watch rugby
- CGR Merchant and Co – Unusual but expensive gin and rum drinks, interesting theme.
- Havana Bar – Fancy cocktails
- Goldings – order Pizza Pomodoro from there with beer
- Wellington Chocolate Factory – good hot chocolate, no alcohol
- Karaka – amazing waterfront location, outdoor afternoon spot
- Garage Project – very niche and iconic craft brewery, its own bar just down the road
- Foxglove – Amazing waterfront location, high-end spirits and cocktails
- Goldings Free Dive – Also known as ‘the Star Wars bar’. Not great beer, but a cool, geeky atmosphere.
- Dirty Little Secret – Rooftop bar (check the weather!)
- Southern Cross (bar, garden bar, music, food)
- Dragonfly – cocktails
- The Realm Bistro & Bar
- Eva Pub – More of a bar. Music, graffiti and welded metal
- Hawthorn Lounge – cocktails
Slightly out of town food and drinks
- Maranui – Excellent food and beachfront location
- Scorchorama – Great food, beachfront near a beautiful beach
- Brewtown – Several breweries in close proximity, but a long drive
- Double Vision Brewing – good beer, but food not so good
- Weta Workshop/Weta Cave – Tours of the movie studio behind The Lord of the Rings
- Parrotdog Brewery – good beer & food, near airport
- The Beijing – Chinese restaurant in Newtown
- Baobab Café – Newtown
- Uncle Leo’s bakery
- Greta Point Cafe
- Kopi Kadai – Malaysian fusion cafe in Kilbirnie
Walks
- Botanical Gardens (tropical gardens, see glowworm dell at night)
- Mt Vic Lookout
- Zealandia (Expensive, but see rare birds, night tour to see kiwi)
- Point Dorset/Oruaiti Reserve – WW2 bunkers, scenic beaches, and coastal headland
- Wellington Waterfront between the Train Station and Earth Sciences at Greta Point
- Brooklyn Wind Turbine (great views, you can hear kiwi at night)
- Paekākāriki Escarpment Track (train-accessible, longer walk)
Attractions
- Te Papa (waterfront museum)
- Ferry out to Somes Island and/or Days Bay for walks, wildlife, beaches & food
- Willis Lane (underground food court, minigolf, gaming arcade)
- The Beehive parliament building
- Carlucci Land (unusual minigolf)
- Island Bay Snorkel Trail (Marine Reserve, a place to see wildlife if you want to get into the water)
- Arty Bees Bookshop – excellent 2nd-hand bookshop
- Pegasus Bookshop – another good 2nd hand bookshop
- Unity Books – Excellent new books bookshop
- Lambton Quay – main shopping street
- Island Bay Marine Education Centre – tiny waterfront aquarium open on Sundays
- Weta Cave (free to visit, or book a tour)
- Zealandia, including day and night tours (Wildlife Sanctuary)
- Space Place
- Wellington Cable Car
- Craft Beer Tour
- Gin tasting tour
- Seal safari south coast
- Lord of the Rings buffs, pocket guide or book a tour
- Wellington Zoo
- Art galleries and list of others here