It comes as no surprise to learn that Mollies — a ravishing hotel that opened recently in Auckland, New Zealand — was designed by a husband and wife whose background is in the theater. The decor is a dramatic blend of antiques and sleek contemporary furniture: early-19th-century portraits hang above steel-and-glass tables in the elegant salons; Chinese burial figures overlook a hallway furnished with a Regency mirror and an antique piano. Located in the leafy inner-city suburb of Saint Mary's Bay, the fourteen-suite Mollies is the first boutique property in Auckland to offer discerning travelers the standards of luxury otherwise found only at the city's larger five-star facilities.
What makes Mollies exceptional has as much to do with its history as with its impeccably accommodating service. Mollie, who is the mother of current owner Frances Wilson, purchased the 19th-century mansion in the sixties. Being a "thoroughly modern woman," according to her daughter, she proceeded to turn the former mayoral residence into a hotel. A few years ago, Mollie asked Frances and Stephen Fitzgerald, Frances's husband, to take over. And so the two — she's a singing coach, he's a designer of interiors and opera sets — exercised their creativity. A spectacularly revamped Mollies opened its doors in November 2002.
No expense had been spared in constructing a lavish, yet always tasteful, environment. The salon, bar and sitting room, on the ground floor, feature gilt Italian mirrors, and Neapolitan landscapes hang on Venetian-plaster walls. The guest suites are cavernous, ranging from 800 to 1,100 square feet (as if to prove their vastness, four of them house grand pianos, and one of the villa suites comfortably contains a piano, a harp, a grandfather clock and a plush Empire sofa). The glass, marble and limestone bathrooms come with spa tubs and walk-in showers. Every room is different: I particularly loved the lower garden suite, a pied-á-terre with a modern dining table, an 18th-century Japanese chest and French doors that open onto an English-style garden in which is nestled a gazebo for candlelight dining.
Although it does not operate a formal restaurant, Mollies has a team of chefs on call to prepare meals according to guests' whims, schedules and tastes (a full breakfast is also part of the stay). The cuisine is imaginative, focusing on New Zealand's copious fresh produce. During my visit, dishes included salmon caviar with poached prawns, roasted crayfish tail folded in nori, vanilla-and-Brie mashed potatoes, and organic eye fillet wrapped in manuka — honey-cured bacon.
Mollies's menus on demand may well be the new concept in high-end hospitality: order in the morning, then enjoy your dream meal in your suite, in the dining salon or on one of the outdoor terraces in the evening. (The chefs are also happy to cater for large groups.) Best of all, several staff members are trained singers and will furnish arias on request. An impromptu "Vissi d'arte" during hors d'oeuvres, anyone? Mollies could not have come up with a more appropriately dramatic finale.
Suites from $225 to $1,360. 011-64-9-376-3489; 800-525-4800; fax: 011-64-9-378-6592; mollies.co.nz.
Inside Auckland
Mollies is within walking distance of Auckland's hippest restaurant and shopping districts. The hotel employs drivers and will arrange the pickup of purchases you make along the way.
Where to Eat
Overlooking the harbor is the Hilton hotel's White restaurant (Princes Wharf, 147 Quay St.; 011-64-9-978-2020), which serves Pacific Rim dishes like New Zealand's green-lipped mussels in tomato and saffron sauce. Many Aucklanders' favorite restaurant is the recently renovated French Café (210 Symonds St.; 011-64-9-377-1911), where the experimental menu includes heavenly tea-smoked salmon with truffle oil. Vinnies (166 Jervois Rd.; 011-64-9-376-5597) gets rave reviews for its indigenous offerings. The sultry Chandelier (152 Ponsonby Rd.; 011-64-9-360-9315) lives up to its name, displaying chandeliers collected from around the world. Stop in après-dinner for a glass of New Zealand's excellent botrytized wine.
Where to Shop
Parnell, Auckland's oldest suburb, is home to great shops. French (114 The Strand; 011-64-9-358-1562) is an artfully styled Parisian-antiques emporium. For one-of-a-kind pieces, stop at acclaimed designer Trelise Cooper (536 Parnell Rd.; 011-64-9-366-1962). Stylish locals snap up New Zealand fashions and interior accessories around Ponsonby Road. A popular purveyor there is State of Grace (36 Jervois Rd.; 011-64-9-378-8460), which sells unusual clothes in lavish fabrics. Farther afield is Fingers (2 Kitchener St.; 011-64-9-373-3974), a contemporary-jewelry store.
Things to Do
Take the ten-minute helicopter trip to Waiheke Island and lunch at Te Whau Vineyard (218 Te Whau Dr.; 011-64-9-372-7191); for a great view, ride the glass-bottomed elevator to the top of the Sky Tower (Victoria St.; 011-64-9-363-6000); sail an America's Cup grand prix racer with Sail NZ (Viaduct Basin; 011-64-9-359-5987); and visit the impressive Auckland War Memorial Museum (The Domain; 011-64-9-309-0443), where there's lively Maori dancing daily at 11 A.M.
LOG-IN TO POST A COMMENT
POST A COMMENT