A big red Kiwi bird wearing cool dark sunglasses is suspended from the lobby ceiling at the new Radisson RED in Auckland, New Zealand.

It’s the first hint this is a hotel that does things a bit differently.

Radisson RED is the first of its kind in New Zealand and it offers a playful twist on conventional hospitality, with edgy modern design, a laid-back atmosphere, and a nice sprinkling of humour.

I’m staying at the hotel for a few days while checking out some of Auckland’s other attractions, and I’m immediately struck by the friendly and fun atmosphere.

The Radisson RED brand is said to be an upper upscale brand within the Radisson Hotel Group’s portfolio with a focus on art, music, fashion and technology.

As opposed to the premium Radisson Collection hotels, there’s no grand lobby, no fancily dressed concierge or stuffy airs and graces … instead I’m greeted with the friendly Kiwi “kia ora” greeting by a cheerful hotel receptionist who is wearing a black T-shirt with a bright red motif of the cool red Kiwi using its beak to play a vinyl record on a turntable.

The check-in process is fast, friendly and efficient, so I head for the lifts and zoom skywards towards my room on the 12th floor.

When the lift doors open, they reveal an art gallery-like space with large fun red-themed artworks that brings a smile to my face as I make my way along the soft carpeted corridor to room 1218.

The room is a 27sqm Premium Room with views towards the Auckland Art Gallery and Albert Park. It has a comfortable king-size bed with crisp white sheets, a built-in red lounge below the window, and a small black coffee table and grey pouf chairs.

Apart from the red lounge, the main colour in the room comes from the artwork hanging above the bed. It’s a picture of a lady golfer wearing an elaborate white period dress, a black waistcoat, and a red cap and golf glove. It’s a simple but effective use of colour.

I also like some of the other playful details such as the old-fashioned telephone with a modern twist (push buttons concealed in the dial), which I presume is so younger guests can figure out how to use it.

There’s a large flatscreen TV and a black cabinet with a concealed fridge, and essentials such as a Nespresso machine, kettle, coffee and tea, as well as a water bottle that can be refilled with chilled water from a dispenser near the lifts.

The bathroom is an open-plan affair with sliding doors that can close it off totally if you prefer some privacy. It has a large walk-in shower, toilet ,and a good size vanity. I like the humorous little messages printed on the supplied toiletries and amenities. The shower cap for example, has a warning — “do not wear in front of the mirror!” — and the shaving kit urges you to “unleash your smooth moves!”

The room also has a full-length mirror, a spacious wardrobe complete with dressing gowns, slippers, plus an iron and ironing board.

I already feel at home, and look forward to spending the next few nights here.

Design and Dining

The communal spaces surrounding the lobby include a bar, restaurant and lounge areas where guests can relax in comfortable surroundings or find a quiet space to do some work.

General manager Ray Engel tells Travel the interior design takes inspiration from the surrounding arts district.

It’s a fun and pleasant place to be that includes display boxes filled with fun colourful local art, theatre seating and heavy curtains, and lighting that resembles make-up mirror lights and stage lights.

The hotel’s swanky restaurant, 33 South, has a warm, cosy feel with heavy curtains that can be drawn to divide spaces for more intimate dining and better acoustics.

Mr Engel says 33 South is focused on providing a menu using the best ingredients New Zealand has to offer. “It’s international but with the best local ingredients and a local twist,” he says.

“New Zealand has great lamb, venison and seafood, and we are very much focused on using local ingredients such as herbs and spices and a lot of storytelling around it.”

I join Mr Engel and a handful of fellow travel writers for a taste of some Chef Mo Arun creations.

We have a taste of just about everything on the menu, including kingfish, green-lipped mussels, lamb and venison. The food tastes and looks great, and the use of native herbs such as kawakawa, horopito and manuka complements the main ingredients perfectly.

Radisson RED is also home to Aka, Auckland’s largest, and hippest, rooftop restaurant and bar on the 15th floor.

Aka, which means red in Japanese, offer an Asian fusion-inspired menu. It’s an amazing place to enjoy a meal or drinks while enjoying sweeping views of Auckland — and don’t worry, the venue can be fully enclosed if the fickle Auckland weather turns nasty.

Walkabout in Auckland

Auckland is a compact city so it’s an easy place to get to know. No matter where you stay, you are within walking distance of some great sights.

The hotel is in the arts district at the top end of Queen Street near Albert Park, Auckland Art Gallery and The Civic, a beautifully restored performing arts venue that dates back to 1929. It was New Zealand’s first purpose-built cinema for “talkies”, but these days it hosts major musicals, concerts and film festivals.

It’s a perfect crisp autumn day when I arrive after the direct overnight flight from Perth, so after checking in, I waste no time heading outside to explore the city. It’s only about a kilometre from the top of Queen Street down to the vibrant harbourfront area, so I choose to meander a little to see what I can discover.

Auckland is quite a hilly city. It was built on what is known as the Auckland volcanic field which includes 53 distinct volcanic centres.

Even though this is slightly disconcerting, I don’t dwell on it because I’m told they are all classified as dormant and unlikely to erupt again anytime soon.

I detour from Queen Street into a pedestrian lane called Vulcan Lane. It’s a charming place with several inviting cafes, bars and speciality shops ranging from rare book shops to chocolatiers.

I succumb to temptation and order a hot chocolate from a beautiful little shop called Honest Chocolat.

Walking around town, it’s pretty hard to miss the Auckland Sky Tower. The 328m structure is one of the city’s biggest attractions, and offers unsurpassed 360-degree views of the city from observation decks on levels 51 and 60.

Daredevils can take a walk on the wild side on level 53. The outside SkyWalk platform invites guests to walk around a 1.2m-wide platform 192m above the streets while wearing a full body harness and tethered to overhead safety lines. Alternatively, they can leap off the building with SkyJump, which is described as a base jumping-by-wire experience.

Tempting as these experiences sound, I decide to act my age and opt for a look around the observation levels, and it doesn’t disappoint. The views are amazing. I can see right across the harbour to Waiheke Island and beyond.

After enjoying the bird’s-eye view of the city, I continue my meanderings on terra firma. I’m keen to get to the harbourside area I spied from the Sky Tower.

It’s a busy and vibrant place with plenty of interesting things to see and do. I admire beautifully restored historic buildings such as the Auckland Ferry Terminal which dates back to 1912 and was built to resemble the San Francisco Ferry Building.

Auckland is known as the City of Sails and if you’re a sailing enthusiast you’ll find plenty of eye candy around the Viaduct Harbour area.

New Zealand has a proud America’s Cup history, with no fewer than five wins.

The hull of KZ1, a monohull yacht designed for the 1988 America’s Cup, has pride of place at Viaduct Harbour. It was the fastest displacement monohull ever built at the time, and is recognised as a significant piece of New Zealand’s engineering heritage.

It’s a beautiful day by the harbour. The Auckland skyline looks amazing framed by the harbourside restaurants and an impressive collection of yachts and sailing boats.

I cross the viaduct pedestrian bridge and stop at Karanga Plaza Harbour Pool. The temperature is only about 15C but there are a few brave swimmers doing laps, and a group of youngsters competing to see who can do the best bommie into the frigid water. There’s even a dog who takes great pleasure in leaping into the water. It’s quite a sight and it has attracted a small crowd who applaud the best bommies.

As I return to the hotel, I already feel like I have a good feel for the place.

Day tripping to Waiheke Island

You don’t have to venture far from the city to experience something different. There are short ferry rides to many of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf. One of the most popular is Waiheke Island. With more than 9000 permanent residents, it is the most populated island in the gulf.

The ferry ride is only about half an hour but I’m taking a much more scenic route via helicopter. It’s a great experience but it doesn’t actually save a lot of time when you include the extra time needed to get to the helicopter operator’s helipad.

It does, however, offer some amazing views of Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf. During the 15-minute flight we fly across Rangitoto Island, Auckland’s youngest volcano. It emerged from the sea about 600 years ago and is now a popular daytrip for walkers who like to explore its forest and lava fields. The uninhabited green island is quite a contrast to the wider Auckland metropolis.

Minutes later, we land on a green paddock at Mudbrick Winery, where we will be having lunch before embarking on a wine-tasting tour around the island.

Mudbrick is famous for its award-winning wines and fine dining, but it is the views that have me captivated as we walk a short distance to the restaurant. The panoramic view across the Hauraki Gulf includes Rangitoto Island and the Auckland skyline in the distance.

It’s hard to imagine a more picturesque location for lunch. We toast our good fortune and order lunch. I choose a scallop crudo entree and venison loin with nashi pear and rogan josh gravy as my main course. Both are delicious, and are paired with the winery’s fine wines.

As much as I’d like to linger here for the rest of the day, we have a minibus to catch, and more wine-tasting to do.

Our next stop is Man O’War Vineyards on the eastern side of the island. It, too, is in a very picturesque setting right by the water in Man O’War Bay. The protected bay is steeped in maritime history. It provided safe harbour for early Polynesian and European adventurers but derived its name from the late-1700s navigators who came here because the local kauri trees made ideal replacement masts for the man o’war warships.

Our final stop is Tantalus Estate, a boutique winery, restaurant and brewery in the Onetangi Valley. It’s another great location with views across the estate’s vineyards and an impossibly green valley.

I’m no wine expert, so I won’t attempt to describe the wines we tasted in detail. Suffice to say, they ranged from good to very good.

Waiheke Island is famous for its bordeaux-style reds, but it also produces some excellent chardonnays and pino gris.

As the sun sets, we catch the ferry back to Auckland and reflect on a day well spent.

+ Mogens Johansen was a guest of Radisson RED. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication.

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To find out more about the hotel and pricing of the rooms, visit radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-red-auckland.