Auckland’s The Hotel Britomart is celebrating an extraordinary run of recognition, having received three major accolades in 2026 across guest experience, industry excellence and world-class dining.
The hotel has this year been named #1 Hotel in New Zealand in the 2026 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, recognised as Best Hotel at the 2026 LION Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence, and, most recently, celebrating kingi restaurant being one of 33 Auckland restaurants to feature in the 2026 New Zealand MICHELIN Guide, following The Hotel Britomart’s own MICHELIN Key recognition last year. (The only hotel in New Zealand to have a MICHELIN Key as well as their restaurant being featured in the guide).
Together, the three accolades represent a rare and meaningful trifecta: one determined by guests, one judged by the hospitality industry, and one reco0gnised on the international culinary stage.
The Tripadvisor recognition placed The Hotel Britomart as the #1 hotel in New Zealand and #6 hotel in the South Pacific, marking the second time the hotel has been named #1 hotel in New Zealand on Tripadvisor, following its previous top ranking in the 2023 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards. Unlike judged awards, the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards are based on reviews and ratings shared by travellers themselves, making the recognition a powerful reflection of the experience guests have when they stay at The Hotel Britomart.
The hotel’s Best Hotel win at the 2026 LION Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence follows its previous success in the same category, having won the Best Hotel Award at the Hospitality New Zealand Business Awards in 2024. The awards celebrate outstanding achievement in New Zealand’s hospitality industry, honouring excellence across accommodation and food and beverage.
The third accolade belongs to kingi, The Hotel Britomart’s restaurant located just steps from the hotel lobby on the ground floor of the heritage Masonic Building. Its MICHELIN Guide inclusion marks an exceptional moment not only for the restaurant team, but also for the wider hotel and neighbourhood, reinforcing the depth and quality of the guest experience across every touchpoint from arrival and accommodation to dining, service and sense of place.
kingi and The Hotel Britomart Executive Chef Andrew Lautenbach says the MICHELIN recognition is an extraordinary honour for the restaurant team.
“To receive a place in the MICHELIN guide is an incredibly special moment for everyone at kingi. This recognition belongs to the whole team in the kitchen, on the floor, and across The Hotel Britomart who bring so much care, skill and heart to what we do every day.
At kingi, our focus has always been on thoughtful, seasonal food that reflects Aotearoa and the people who grow, catch, farm and produce it. We are proud to champion local ingredients, responsible sourcing and a style of dining that feels warm, generous and connected to place. To have that recognised by MICHELIN is a huge honour, and one we are deeply grateful for.”
General Manager Clinton Farley says the three accolades are a testament to the consistency, care and talent of the entire team.
“To receive recognition from guests, from our peers in the hospitality industry, and now from MICHELIN through kingi is an incredibly proud moment for everyone connected to The Hotel Britomart. Each accolade speaks to a different part of what we do, but together they reflect the same thing: a team that genuinely cares about creating exceptional experiences.
We have always believed that true hospitality is found in the details – in thoughtful service, considered design, memorable food and drink, and the warmth of the people delivering it. This trifecta is a wonderful acknowledgement of that philosophy, and of the passion and commitment our team brings to the hotel every day.”
Since opening in October 2020, The Hotel Britomart has earned a strong reputation for combining considered design, sustainability and heartfelt service in one of Auckland’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. The hotel is known for its calm, timber-lined rooms, strong sense of place, warm team culture and commitment to creating memorable, distinctly local experiences for every guest. It is also New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel, certified by the New Zealand Green Building Council.
The latest recognition builds on a growing list of accolades for The Hotel Britomart and kingi, reinforcing its position as one of New Zealand’s leading luxury hospitality experiences and a benchmark for thoughtful, sustainable urban accommodation and cuisine.
For The Hotel Britomart, the trifecta is more than a collection of accolades. It is a celebration of people: the guests whose reviews helped place the hotel at the top of Tripadvisor, the industry peers who recognised its excellence at the LION Hospitality New Zealand Awards, and the talented culinary and service teams whose work has brought MICHELIN recognition to kingi.
