A stunning hotel with water views has opened in the heart of Auckland

Where: 1 Queen Street, Auckland

How much: Rooms from $NZ539 ($490) per night

The first InterContinental hotel in Auckland couldn't have chosen a better spot. Fronting the Commercial Bay shopping and dining precinct, it's the finale of a 20-year project to transform the harbourfront from an industrial wasteland into a vibrant hub, stretching from Britomart in the east to Wynyard Quarter in the west.

Although the hotel opened on January 30, many of its most notable features, such as the rooftop bar and the brand's signature club lounge, won't be available until later in the year.

Unrivalled. Occupying the plum 1 Queen Street address, the property faces the handsome red-brick ferry terminal and is steps from the Britomart Transport Centre. There are entrances from Quay Street and the adjoining Commercial Bay shopping centre, which is filled with boutiques, an upscale food court and several notable restaurants.

The property shares the building with Deloitte, so its sleek glass exterior feels more high-end corporate than five-star hotel. Inside, the decor is understated elegance. The first-floor reception area is a muted medley of timber flooring, light grey seating, olive green wall panels and abstract, earth-toned rugs. A multi-coloured light installation featuring 4420 glass spheres by Sydney artist Nike Savvas brings a welcome touch of sparkle to the ground floor lobby and there are some lovely Maori artworks dotted around, including a traditional tukutuku woven flax panel by Tessa Harris and several handmade clay sculptures by Wi Teapa.

Spread over floors six to eleven, the 139 rooms range from unusually spacious 33-square-metre entry-level Classic rooms to several classes of suite, topping out at the show-stopping 107-square-metre Presidential Suite. Once again, the styling is tasteful and unfussy - an inoffensive blend of light and dark woods, tan headboards and sleek black metal lighting. Most rooms feature a hand-woven Maori whariki panel plus a striking photograph of a Maori war canoe by NZ artist Fiona Pardington. Bathrooms are seductive, spot-lit affairs with dark tiling, stone-effect countertops and luscious-smelling toiletries by Byredo. The main attraction is the harbour view, which is showcased through floor-to-ceiling windows and revealed via a theatrical "ta-dah" automated curtain opening when you first enter.

Overseen by British-born chef Gareth Stewart, the hotel's Middle Eastern-themed eatery Advieh is hit and miss. A dainty filo pastry chicken liver baklava is a delight; the whipped carrot hummus with pickled mussels is overengineered. It's a similar story with the lamb neck and hapuku fish mains - both are a blizzard of competing flavours and textures. Breakfast is better - a buffet with house-cured smoked kahawai fish, plus a la carte options including Turkish eggs and pastrami benedict. There are a number of noteworthy eateries nearby, too, particularly Ahi and Origine, which are both a napkin toss away in Commercial Bay.

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Until the club lounge and rooftop bar open, there's little to detain guests in the hotel. But there's oodles to do nearby. Browse the upmarket boutiques in Britomart, bar hop around Wynyard Quarter, drool over the glinting superyachts in Viaduct Harbour or hop on a ferry to Waiheke Island.

A bedside control panel so unintuitive that even the explanatory diagram in the room directory leaves me none the wiser.

Explore more: auckland.intercontinental.com

The writer was a guest of InterContinental Auckland and Tourism New Zealand.