Accor Hotels has reinvented its former Grand Mercure on Customs St East, Auckland, into a local version of the Swiss hotel chain.

And yes, it has chocolate and ice-cream. But its main function is as a hotel.

The inspiration for the Mövenpick concept, apparently, came to its Swiss founder, hotelier Ueli Prager, after watching a seagull, or Möwe in German, effortlessly capture food while in mid-flight. 

That was in 1948, and Prager adopted Mövenpick (or Möwe pick) as the name of what was then a new, casual dining experience. 

In 1973, capitalising on the chain’s reputation and a loyal following based on its quality food, and innovation, the company opened its first two hotels in Zurich.

The brand, which now operates 100 hotels across more than 20 countries, was bought by French-based hotel and hospitality conglomerate Accor SA in Sept 2018. 

Accor, which paid €482 million (NZ$807m) for the group, expects to add an additional 50 properties to the Swiss chain by 2025.

The Auckland hotel opened last May, after Accor and building owner the CP Group managed to refresh the 207-room property in just four weeks. 

Accor followed that up by opening a 114-room Mövenpick in Wellington in July 7, fittingly on world chocolate day, replacing the Grand Mercure on The Terrace.

Zac Lumsden, general manager of the Mövenpick and Auckland’s Pullman Hotel, said the NZ launches had followed the successful rollout of the brand in Australia (Hobart and Melbourne) in 2020 and 2021.

Lumsden said a key attraction is the food and beverage offering, which includes the chocolate hour – with all-you-can-eat products from macarons to meringues – which occurs daily from 3pm.

The "sundae service", where guests can request a made-to-order sundae 24 hours a day, has also resonated very well with a younger audience and families especially.

At the helm: Zac Lumsden (left) and manager Sean Slattery. (Image: BusinessDesk)


Describing Mövenpick as a "playful" brand at the entry-level end of five star, Lumsden said both the NZ hotels had the “right DNA”, with neither having required any major structural overhauls. 

Made-to-order sundaes are a room-service special delight. (Image: Accor)


The company had donated 430 beds, bed linen and other "soft" room furnishings to local charities as part of the transition.

BusinessDesk stayed in the Mövenpick suite, one of three executive suites on the 12th floor, the others being the Devonport and Waihorotiu suites. All come with an ocean view, are tastefully furnished with a chandelier and crushed velvet seating, and include a full walk-in "rain shower" shower and bathtub. 

For those who need to do a bit of work, each suite comes with a dark-wood-panelled office nook, and a small bar area, coffee and tea station.  

I missed the chocolate hour, so someone dropped off a selection of truffles and macarons – most welcome and delicious.

An executive suite: a bit more space comes at a price. (Image: Accor)


Off-the-rack rates vary from about $250 in-season for a deluxe room for two, to my suite – starting at about $800 a night.

Upstairs is Mövenpick's Asian-fusion restaurant and bar, BODA, an open-plan, tastefully furnished space with panoramic views.

In the morning, my guest and I headed to BODA for a buffet breakfast. The place was jammed from 8am, and the buffet offering was first class. 

In my view, you can tell a lot about a place by whether it offers Tabasco and HP without being asked. 

The chef was kind enough to make eggs of our choice (despite the challenges of the egg market currently); I opted for poached, and my breakfast partner ordered an omelette "with everything".

Other on-site facilities include a small gym, and Custom Lane, a streetside cafe and bar next to the lobby where the decor features green crushed velvet. 

Mövenpick Auckland manager Sean Slattery said while the hotel has been forced to cap occupancy levels as a result of staff shortages, as many in the industry have also done, patronage has been steadily improving.

I guess chocolate bribery works. 

8 Customs Street East, Auckland
Phone (09) 377 8920 
movenpick.com

● BusinessDesk stayed two nights at Mövenpick Hotel Auckland courtesy of Accor Hotel Group.