After spending a night at the Intercontinental I was very saddened by my experience at the JC. The place was swarmed with tour groups so waiting for check in took for ever, no one to help with bags and when I asked if an airport shuttle could be booked for me I was told to come back. Front desk staff kept directing me to the wrong places when I asked for directions and considering I had a sprained ankle from a run I took yesterday that meant a lot of painful uncessary hobbling (also, the fact that I was injured and no one offered to help with my bags kinda sucked and that there was no one to help with my bags or anyone elses!!) . Also it's not like I was checking in super early it was lat like 4:30 pm! Inside of the hotel is shabby and worn, pillows pretty uncomfortable. Definitely not worth the price tag. Location is good though.

My partner and I stayed at James Cook after a lovely new years holiday in the Hawkes Bay. We have stayed here previously (back in 2010) and although the rooms are lovely and we enjoyed our stays overall, we found the use of a hotel as a walkway from Lambton Quay to the Terrace a really large turn off. No matter what time of day there are always crowds of people walking through the hotel for the use of the elevator. After spending the afternoon shopping the last thing I wanted to do was get in to the elevator back up to the hotel and be squashed in with around eight other people who weren't staying in the Hotel but simply trying to avoid walking up the stairs/hill to the terrace. Not good.

Nice and central hotel on The Terrace with easy access to Lambton Quay for shopping in Wellington. Cafe and restaurants serves good meals also with lively "happy hours". The pianist is always entertaining and lively! Nothing beats the spa though. They are very good! I last stayed was in 2010, but will look forward to another stay here.

We stayed in the City Suite for 3 nights over New Years - lovely large apartment style room, with HUGE bed and fantastic views over the city (24th floor). Service from all staff was great, all were attentive to our needs.
Buffet breakfast and dinner at the hotel restaurant was great, although there was a special on that if you finished dinner by 7pm you'd get the meal cheaper - not something that was advertised (that we saw). Food made up for it though - hubby is a truck driver so he was in his element!
Little disappointed in the welcome fruit (2 apples) and special treat which we assume was a small package of pinapple lumps - but it is the thought that counts!
Note: the coffee tables around the property and (in the room) with glass tops have extremely sharp corners, one month on I still bear the scar on my knee from walking into it - so be careful!