Distinction Whangarei Hotel & Conference Centre

Distinction Whangarei Hotel & Conference Centre sits at 9 Riverside Drive, overlooking the Whangarei Town Basin and its marina, a few minutes' walk from the city centre. It is part of the 100% New Zealand owned and operated Distinction Hotels Group, where it sits in the group's Silver Collection. The property is built around a combined accommodation and conference offer, and is one of the larger hotel-based conference options in Northland.

Accommodation

The hotel has 115 spacious, air-conditioned rooms and suites, all with free unlimited Wi-Fi. Complimentary off-street car parking is provided, which is a practical advantage for delegates driving up from Auckland.

Facilities

• Fully licensed lounge bar and restaurant on site
• Indoor heated swimming pool
• Spa and gymnasium
• Free unlimited Wi-Fi in guest rooms, meeting rooms and public areas across the Distinction group
• Complimentary off-street parking

Meeting and conference capability

The conference centre comprises two fully equipped rooms, the Hatea Room and the Marina Room. Both offer abundant natural light plus air conditioning and heating. The rooms are divided by concertina doors, so they can be run separately for privacy or opened up into a single larger space. Combined capacity is up to 130 people, which covers meetings, working lunches, seminars, parties and weddings. The group describes it as the largest hotel-based conference centre in Whangarei.

Catering is handled in-house, with menus tailored to dietary requirements and budget. Refreshments can be served in the conference room or in an arranged breakout area, and the conference team can supply themed dinner menus and concepts for evening functions. The hotel employs a dedicated conference coordinator as the single point of contact for organisers.

Location and delegate programme

The hotel is directly opposite the Whangarei Town Basin waterfront development and the Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery, which gives conference organisers an immediate, walkable cultural anchor for partner programmes and pre-dinner activity. The city centre, theatres and scenic bush walks are a few minutes' walk away, several golf courses are close by, Whangarei airport is roughly a five-minute drive, and the Bay of Islands is under an hour by road – useful for extending a conference into an incentive day.

With 115 rooms, two combinable function rooms seating up to 130, in-house catering, a pool, spa and gym, and free parking, Distinction Whangarei Hotel & Conference Centre works as a single-site host for residential conferences, association meetings, training programmes, awards dinners and weddings in Northland.