James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor

Hotels
8.4 (9681 reviews)
147 The Terrace , Wellington , NZ

Paid
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Fitness center
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Room service
Heating
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Excellent service
Good breakfast
Cons:
Cleanliness issues
Basic room quality
High parking costs

Categories

Cleanliness
7.86
Several mentions of cleanliness issues, including hair left in the room.
Service
9.33
Excellent service staff and prompt assistance.
Location
9.37
Great location, easy access to city.
Room Quality
7.32
Basic room quality with some dissatisfaction regarding views and comfort.
Amenities
8.35
Some amenities were good, but limited restaurant options mentioned.
Value for Money
7.31
Concerns raised about the high cost relative to the room quality.
Food and Beverage
8.86
Good breakfast with positive remarks but limited food options noted.
Overall Experience
8.83
Overall average experience with certain aspects standing out positively.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-07 09:53

Property Description

Luxurious Accommodation
James Cook Hotel offers fully refurbished Executive King or Twin Rooms, providing a comfortable stay with modern amenities such as air conditioning, free WiFi, and stunning city or harbour views.

Convenient Location
Situated in the heart of Wellington, guests can easily explore popular attractions like Cuba Street and Courtenay Place within a short walk. Direct elevator access to Lambton Quay makes shopping and sightseeing a breeze.

Dining with a View
Indulge in delicious buffet or à la carte dining at the 17th-floor Whitby’s Restaurant and Bar while enjoying panoramic harbour views. For a more casual experience, Sojourn Café offers a contemporary menu with live piano music to elevate your dining experience.

Experience luxury and convenience at James Cook Hotel - book now for an unforgettable stay!

Important information:

Please note that there is a 1.64% charge when you pay with a Visa, Mastercard or JCB credit card or prepayment with debit card.
Please note that there is a 3.35% charge when you pay with an American Express credit card or prepayment with debit card.

Please note that James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor requires a credit card imprint or a NZD $100 per night cash/credit card deposit upon check in to cover any incidental charges. If using a debit card or cash, the total cost of the reservation is payable upon check in, plus the bond.

Please note that nonrefundable reservations will be charged at the time of booking.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: WLG

Location

Guest Reviews

8.4
Based on 9681 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.86
Service: 9.33
Location: 9.37
Room Quality: 7.32
Amenities: 8.35
Value for Money: 7.31
Food and Beverage: 8.86
Overall Experience: 8.83
L
Lisa • family_with_children • nz
10
2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
N
Nikole Anderson • family_with_children • nz
7
Fanily Room Booked (2 adults and 1 child)
Pros:

The lifts were amazing! Able to get to ASB Arena very easily. Parking was good. Lots of options however we did stay on a Monday night

Lots of towels! Love the seperate toilet in a hotel room! The bath is comfortable and nice!

Air-conditioning was very good in the room. Never felt too hot or too cold during our stay!

Buffet breakfast was really nice! Lots of options! Pancakes made to order were great and chef was lovely

Cons:

Difficult signage on how to get to the different levels of the car park from the lobby. Unable to use the vehicle ramps of course but I wasn't able to find a staircase advising how to get to our car parked on level H (main parking level)

Couches and even dining chairs were extremely uncomfortable. Like they are designed to not let people comfortably lay down or sit back on the chairs. I am 30 weeks pregnant so sitting on an extremely hard couch and not being able to lay back on a chair while eating dinner wasn't the best

The door easily opens and closes. The "lock" isnt very child friendly. Easily able to be opened by a young child. We slept with a few chairs in front of the door to make sure our 2 year old daughter didnt try and open it during the night

Light switches are child height. My 2 year old was easily able to turn the lights on and off as much as she could. There are two phones in the room aswell. Unsure why?

2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
S
Sian • family_with_children • au
6
OK hotel in a very central location.
Pros:

It was very central to everything. We literally parked the car on arrival and didn't move it until we left. Everything in walking distance.

Cons:

Our room was average. Shower curtain in the bathroom blows with the fan and touches you. When put on outside of the tub, flooded the floor.
Our room wasn't cleaned properly. There was rubbish under the bed, bobby pins on the floor and other things that would have been easily vacuumed if done properly.

2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
K
Kristy • family_with_children • nz
7
Pros:

Very friendly staff, clean and comfortable

Cons:

My toddler could unlock our room too easily and escape during the night unnoticed

2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
B
Baljit • family_with_children • nz
10
2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
J
Jezzibel • family_with_children • nz
8
2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
D
Dean • solo_traveller • nz
10
2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
A
Aleisha • couple • nz
10
2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
Y
Yi-Hung • solo_traveller • tw
8
2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
C
Candice • couple • nz
10
2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
J
Jacinta • family_with_children • nz
10
2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
H
Heidi • solo_traveller • nz
9
Very convenient location and comfortable stay. Will definitely stay here again when I travel to Wellington next time.
Pros:

Spacious room with great view. We were on the 26th floor, which had its own lounge area with complimentary drinks and snacks and a beautiful view. Very nice shower and bathroom. Very comfortable bed!

Cons:

Nothing

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
K
KOLDOBIKA MIREN • solo_traveller • es
10
2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
A
AA01 • solo_traveller • nz
10
Pros:

It was what we wanted close to where we wanted to go and it was a relaxing atmosphere.

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
D
Dana • solo_traveller • nz
10
Pros:

The hotel was extremely clean. The room service meal was lovely. The buffet was very good too.

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
B
Brianna • couple • nz
10
2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
L
Lisa E • couple • nz
9
2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
M
Michelle • couple • nz
9
Happy overall
Pros:

Location, cleanliness, parking and bed confortable.

Cons:

Car park stairwell dirty. Reception disappeared as we pulled up and we stood and waited and then told to move car forward which had become possible but initially someone was in the way, just a little abrupt with instructions. Not offensive but felt disappointed at the way the women told us. We stay in Wgtn a lot and so have options and were impressed overal.

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
D
Dee • family_with_children • nz
9
Great stay. I always enjoy coming here. Friendly and helpful staff
Pros:

Convenient location from motorway and easy walk to all stores within CBD.

Cons:

Nothing. This is my favourite hotel in Wellington.

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
J
Julia • family_with_children • nz
8
Pros:

The front desk team seem really happy and accommodating, like they enjoy their jobs. It's very welcoming. You can't beat James Cook for the location. So easy to get to from the motorway, and then you can walk right out the back to Lambton Quay. Rooms were clean and new. They stored our kayak for us and parking is cheap and in the same building.

Cons:

The parking gates were really confusing. I'm not sure why we needed to use the same ticket to get OUT of the parking garage, but that made for a mad scramble to reception whilst sitting at the parking gate with cars backed up behind us. A bit stressful, but that's my only complaint from a 3-night stay.

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee