Room review: The Sebel Wellington Lower Hutt is family-friendly contemporary chic

Lower Hutt has long had a reputation, in my view unwarranted, for being bogan and naff. That seems to have changed in recent years, however, and the introduction of this slick, stylish and contemporary urban hotel should help to shake off any residuals.

The Sebel is on Queens Drive, just on the southern end of Lower Hutt’s CBD. It’s a super easy drive north from Wellington, just off the urban motorway, on several bus routes, and a 12-minute walk from Western Hutt Station.

You’re a five-minute walk from Queensgate shopping centre and the downtown area, while the Dowse Art Museum and the War Memorial Library in its beautiful park surrounds are directly across the road.

Running between High St on one side and Queens Dr on the other, The Sebel comprises 60 rooms across five floors.

It has a bright, clean lobby with a small sitting area at the window and is served by two lifts. There’s no gym or pool, but Huia Pool, an eight-minute walk away, has both.

Restaurant Grazie is on the ground floor. There’s no room service, though you could easily order in from any number of Lower Hutt restaurants, and all rooms have kitchen facilities.

The brand-new hotel is tastefully appointed throughout, and the Sebel brand’s signature electric blue colour is everywhere.

My family of four – two adults, two kids under 10 – had a standard twin room and a one-bedroom suite, which opened out into a shared vestibule. The vestibule itself and both rooms are accessible only by key card.

As far as my kids were concerned, having a hotel room to themselves, including a TV that they could watch and operate from each of the two double beds, a jug with instant hot chocolate sachets, and their own bathroom, was the pinnacle of their young lives and they immediately shut themselves in. Luckily, I’d requested two keys.

Kitchenettes are small but functional, with two hobs, fridge, microwave, toaster and jug (the suite also has an oven), and a good range of cookware, crockery and cutlery, plus a pod coffee machine.

The one-bedroom suite had a separate sitting area with a second TV that could be closed off from the bedroom by way of sliding doors, and a slightly larger bathroom than the studio, incorporating a washing machine and dryer as well as walk-in shower with both standard and rainfall heads.

The decor is upscale hotel standard with a dash of art deco; I coveted the curved green velvet sofa with brass trim in the sitting area.

Both our rooms, on the top fifth floor, presented gorgeous, unfettered views southeast across Queens Dr to the library and the hills and harbour beyond. The opposite side of the building takes in the river and the Maungaraki hills.

The other two sides will be more roads and buildings than gardens and rivers, but there’s plenty of open space all around.

TVs are all equipped with Chromecast. There are all the toiletries you’d expect, from The French Note, as well as safe, iron and ironing board, hairdryer, robes and slippers, three coffee pods (I could have done with more), hot chocolate sachets, and loose-leaf tea. A couple of our tins were nearly empty.

The hotel’s restaurant, Grazie, which also has a street front on High St, serves absolutely delicious Italian food at lunch and dinner. The fried calamari was perfectly cooked without a hint of sogginess, confit duck leg ravioli and beef ragout cannelloni were rich and full-flavoured without being overwhelming, the mozzarella on the margherita pizza stretched for days, and my six-year-old daughter – something of a connoisseur – declared the kids’ menu mac ‘n’ cheese the best she’d ever eaten.

Breakfast, however, was disappointing. As a public café Grazie doesn’t do a restaurant breakfast service and instead has one of those café breakfast menus where there’s too much on every plate (there is no need for mushrooms on toast to come with eggs, and pancakes could have cream cheese or whipped cream, not both).

It was all a bit too much food and too little finesse; next time I’d pack cereal.

As well as its 130-odd shops, Queensgate boasts one of only two Imax movie theatres in the country.

The Dowse is a great place to take kids, and you’re only a short drive from Avalon Park, one of the biggest and best playgrounds in Wellington. The Hutt River, with its walking and cycling trails, is right behind you.

The Sebel’s proximity to motorway and public transport also make it easy to take in a game or a show at Sky Stadium.

Dinner at Grazie.

Being securely with, and yet separate from, the kids was a great experience for all of us.

The disappointing breakfast.

This tasteful and contemporary hotel in the heart of Lower Hutt is a great choice for families and business travellers alike.

Book a standard room on a Sunday night and you could get in for under $200; otherwise they start at $229. Superiors are $229-309, deluxe rooms $259-319, suites with a garden view $319-389 or $339-409 with a river view. Car parking is $20 extra. See: