Overly priced for an underwhelming stay. I specifically chose to stay at this hotel for its reputation of being the quietest hotel in Wellington, deciding it was worth splashing $250 for a premium studio facing the side road, as I had the most important job interview of my life the following day. While the service and cleanliness were top notch, my stay fell regrettably short of expectations.
Though I had requested a room away from elevators and on a high floor when booking (never mind the missing "garden view", I was offered a room on the 2nd floor opposite the elevators. This happened despite being asked upon checking in if it was my first time staying, and letting the receptionist know of my above reason for booking here. Consequently, I constantly heard doors slamming during the day by both guests (and staff alike using the stairwell) - this lasted till 11pm and started from 6-7am. To my surprise and dismay, the walls were very thin and poorly insulated against noise from adjacent rooms. Additionally there was a deep, constant buzzing noise from the air con which was hard to ignore. And to top it off, I was woken up to a rubbish truck in the early hours of the morning.
Perhaps all this could've been avoided if I'd been given a room I actually thought I booked, or maybe I was just unlucky. Either way, light sleepers like myself who brought ear plugs would still struggle to get decent, undisturbed rest if placed on the 2nd floor. If the hotel would invest in sound insulation for an old building that'd be great (perhaps starting with changing the slamming doors), otherwise sensitive sleepers would be best going elsewhere.
Derek Jones
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November 25, 2025
The Bolton is a family run hotel. I stayed here for two nights on business. The staff are friendly and very helpful. I found that the room I had a little "ordinary" but functional. Plenty of space with a small kitchenette with a small dishwasher, hob and fridge. My room did smell of previous cooking which hit you as soon as you walked in. I liked the bathroom with the large shower cubical and lots of space.
WATCHOUT! If you drink the water from the bottles in the fridge which are in light blue plastic containers, you will be charged shy of 8 buck!!! A rip off for water. The bottles label crow on about sustainability, reusability and all the other virtue signals that are supposed to make us feel all fuzzy and fluffy however the hotel are just stretching it slightly with the price...
Yes you can drink from the tap, which the hotel like to tell you when you complain about the cost of the bottled water, if thats the case don't sell the water!
I've written too much in the subject of the rip off water. The hotel is comfortable , close to the town and the harbour, and I would recommend.
Richard Byrne
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May 31, 2026
My wife and I enjoyed a Saturday night stay with a special weekend deal. We were looked after very well by all the staff we interacted with. Nothing was too much trouble for them to make our stay enjoyable. The parking building opposite had plenty of room for our car and the rates were good for the weekend. It was an easy walk to downtown Wellington. If the day had been wet we would have used the number 4 bus which leaves from a bus stop just a minute away. If we had had more time we would have walked the Botanic Garden which has an entry opposite.
Kia Kaha
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March 28, 2026
When my work mentioned they had booked a “nice” accommodation for my trip, I thought, “Hmm… sure, whatever.”
But arriving at the Bolton Hotel for my 5 nights stay completely changed my expectations. It wasn’t just nice, it was absolutely amazing. Location second to none, perfect for work trip.
The little coffee spot by the entrance quickly became my go to every morning before work, and the barista consistently made the perfect cup to start my day despite I had a 2 different Barista during my stay
Housekeeping was also exceptional, my room was spotless every single day when I returned from work.
Truly impressed with the entire experience. Highly recommend!
-1001
Samuel Macqueen
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February 14, 2026
Great hotel in a decent location, with just a couple of things stopping it from being perfect.
The room was lovely—clean, comfortable, and good value for money. The highlight was definitely the spa, which featured a well-equipped gym, plus an amazing pool, sauna, and hot tub.
There were two minor downsides. First, the checkout process took quite a while and felt slightly outdated in terms of efficiency. That said, an 11:00 a.m. checkout is more generous than what we’ve experienced elsewhere.
The main issue for us was parking. There was no availability in the valet service, and at $40 per night it’s quite expensive. We were directed to the car park across the road, which was extremely tight and appeared to have only around five public spaces in a multi-storey facility. While I understand this isn’t directly the hotel’s responsibility, it’s realistic to expect that many guests will rely on that car park. It would make sense for the hotel to arrange some kind of partnership or agreement with it. We have a medium-sized vehicle and it barely fit, which could be a separate issue worth addressing.
Aside from this, we had a fantastic stay.
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12 Bolton Street, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
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Overly priced for an underwhelming stay. I specifically chose to stay at this hotel for its reputation of being the quietest hotel in Wellington, deciding it was worth splashing $250 for a premium studio facing the side road, as I had the most important job interview of my life the following day. While the service and cleanliness were top notch, my stay fell regrettably short of expectations. Though I had requested a room away from elevators and on a high floor when booking (never mind the missing "garden view", I was offered a room on the 2nd floor opposite the elevators. This happened despite being asked upon checking in if it was my first time staying, and letting the receptionist know of my above reason for booking here. Consequently, I constantly heard doors slamming during the day by both guests (and staff alike using the stairwell) - this lasted till 11pm and started from 6-7am. To my surprise and dismay, the walls were very thin and poorly insulated against noise from adjacent rooms. Additionally there was a deep, constant buzzing noise from the air con which was hard to ignore. And to top it off, I was woken up to a rubbish truck in the early hours of the morning. Perhaps all this could've been avoided if I'd been given a room I actually thought I booked, or maybe I was just unlucky. Either way, light sleepers like myself who brought ear plugs would still struggle to get decent, undisturbed rest if placed on the 2nd floor. If the hotel would invest in sound insulation for an old building that'd be great (perhaps starting with changing the slamming doors), otherwise sensitive sleepers would be best going elsewhere.
The Bolton is a family run hotel. I stayed here for two nights on business. The staff are friendly and very helpful. I found that the room I had a little "ordinary" but functional. Plenty of space with a small kitchenette with a small dishwasher, hob and fridge. My room did smell of previous cooking which hit you as soon as you walked in. I liked the bathroom with the large shower cubical and lots of space. WATCHOUT! If you drink the water from the bottles in the fridge which are in light blue plastic containers, you will be charged shy of 8 buck!!! A rip off for water. The bottles label crow on about sustainability, reusability and all the other virtue signals that are supposed to make us feel all fuzzy and fluffy however the hotel are just stretching it slightly with the price... Yes you can drink from the tap, which the hotel like to tell you when you complain about the cost of the bottled water, if thats the case don't sell the water! I've written too much in the subject of the rip off water. The hotel is comfortable , close to the town and the harbour, and I would recommend.
My wife and I enjoyed a Saturday night stay with a special weekend deal. We were looked after very well by all the staff we interacted with. Nothing was too much trouble for them to make our stay enjoyable. The parking building opposite had plenty of room for our car and the rates were good for the weekend. It was an easy walk to downtown Wellington. If the day had been wet we would have used the number 4 bus which leaves from a bus stop just a minute away. If we had had more time we would have walked the Botanic Garden which has an entry opposite.
When my work mentioned they had booked a “nice” accommodation for my trip, I thought, “Hmm… sure, whatever.” But arriving at the Bolton Hotel for my 5 nights stay completely changed my expectations. It wasn’t just nice, it was absolutely amazing. Location second to none, perfect for work trip. The little coffee spot by the entrance quickly became my go to every morning before work, and the barista consistently made the perfect cup to start my day despite I had a 2 different Barista during my stay Housekeeping was also exceptional, my room was spotless every single day when I returned from work. Truly impressed with the entire experience. Highly recommend! -1001
Great hotel in a decent location, with just a couple of things stopping it from being perfect. The room was lovely—clean, comfortable, and good value for money. The highlight was definitely the spa, which featured a well-equipped gym, plus an amazing pool, sauna, and hot tub. There were two minor downsides. First, the checkout process took quite a while and felt slightly outdated in terms of efficiency. That said, an 11:00 a.m. checkout is more generous than what we’ve experienced elsewhere. The main issue for us was parking. There was no availability in the valet service, and at $40 per night it’s quite expensive. We were directed to the car park across the road, which was extremely tight and appeared to have only around five public spaces in a multi-storey facility. While I understand this isn’t directly the hotel’s responsibility, it’s realistic to expect that many guests will rely on that car park. It would make sense for the hotel to arrange some kind of partnership or agreement with it. We have a medium-sized vehicle and it barely fit, which could be a separate issue worth addressing. Aside from this, we had a fantastic stay.