Blog Post
JUCY SNOOZE
Clare Fisher • 11 February 2019
Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch
TOP TIPS:
- BOOK AS EARLY AS YOU CAN! JUCY SNOOZEis VERY popular, as it offers clean, budget friendly, comfortable and stylish accommodation, in excellent locations, in some of New Zealand's most popular destinations!
- BOOK CAR PARKING IN ADVANCE. Get in touch with the JUCY SNOOZE you're staying in and find out if you need to book car park, to make sure you don't miss out!
- BUY ANY HEAVY FOOD OR DRINK BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. All of the JUCY SNOOZE locations have communal kitchens at least and are super close to supermarkets, but getting them from the front of the hotel, to your room, is a lot easier than walking with them from the store.
- CHECK JUCY'S KITCHEN FOR THE BASICS. If you're going to the store before you arrive, you may want to ignore this one, but if you don't like seeing food go to waste, you love a freebie or you're on a really tight budget, it is worth checking JUCY'S kitchen before you shop! JUCY don't like waste, so all food, seasonings, sauces etc. that are left behind, a lot of which has been barely used or opened, is put aside for you to help yourself!
AUCKLAND
We left the JUCY depot with our new car rental and although they are very helpful with directions, we always appreciate having a sat nav in foreign countries, especially when entering a City. We found it really easy to reach the hotel, right up until we had to make the turning, onto the street where JUCY Snooze is located. If coming in from the same way, you will approach traffic lights and the directions will ask you to take the first left turning here, but it is so sharp, along with the traffic lights and steepness of the hill, it almost feels as though you cant take the turning, but you can! Up this hill is where you will find JUCY SNOOZE and if you can remember this as you are approaching, it may save you a few laps to get back around.
Keep left as you go up the hill and you won't miss JUCY's colorful branding! If you've booked yourself in for JUCY'S car parking, you will see the metal shutters to their underground parking, slightly BEFORE the hotel. If you miss it though, its easy enough to turn around in this little one way system. You can pull up right outside the hotel to check in and let them know you're going to be using the car park. When you're ready, you can just pull up and push the buzzer, so they can let you in. Call ahead and check if your vehicle is suitable for the car park. If they inform you that it's too big or high, there is a normal car park around the corner. It isn't linked to JUCY, but it's super close!
If you're making payments at the hotel using any type of card, make sure you know the charges, associated with using them at JUCY, before you arrive. You may prefer to bring cash to avoid them. There is a charge to use even cash cards on some occasions, so be prepared if you want to avoid them. Before you head up to your room, ask one of the JUCY crew to point to you to all the FREE New Zealand guides! We planned our entire trip using these and if you haven't got everything worked out yet or you're looking for for some extra stops or activities, these will certainly be a massive help!
We highly recommend the Studio Deluxe Apartment, if you're traveling as a family with children! Not only do you get a large private room, with a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom, the lounge area with sofas and tv, gives the kids room to move around in! It is safe, clean and convenient! Eating in is a great way to save some cash and you cant beat having your own kitchen to do this in, especially with kids. We had all tea and coffee making facilities included with this but if you're feeling super lazy, JUCY has a cute little coffee shop next to the reception. They are only open certain hours on certain days, so ask these on the way in to avoid disappointment.
A few minutes walk in different directions, can take you to many of the attractions within Auckland's centre. Whether you're looking to hop on a ferry, do a spot of shopping or check out the City from above in the Sky Tower. Make sure you check out online, what day and night markets are going on during your stay in Auckland. We passed one just around the corner from JUCY on our way home one night! They are super fun and always serve fresh, tasty and cheap food! You don't have to go far to see some natural wonders, with the beautiful, green Mount Eden, just a few minutes drive away. As well as giving you breathtaking views of the skyline, you will probably never see another volcano, covered in vegetation in a City like this, anywhere else. Its a must visit! Oh and don't forget about those Auckland beaches! Do your research, so you have an idea of which ones you would like to visit. We chose the famous Piha beach with the historic Lion Rock and it did not disappoint! There are a number of breathtaking waterfalls in the area, with some that you can stop off at on the way to the beach. Before you go, check online to make sure they are open to the public. Some parts of New Zealand's forests are affected by 'Kauri Dieback Disease', and in an effort to stop the spread, some places are closed off to the public for the time being.
QUEENSTOWN
Probably one of the best positioned accommodations in Queenstown, JUCY Snooze over looks the town in one direction, the snow covered mountains in the other and the Skyline gondola on the other side. There are a ton of restaurants, pubs, fast food and shops just a few steps out of the front door but many of the attractions are also just a stone throw away.
It's brilliant arriving into Queenstown because although it looks busy, it's not a big City, it's exactly what it says in the name, a town. JUCY Snooze doesnt have it's own parking but it doesn't need it, because directly next door, is a little car park, that offers free over night parking between 6pm and 8am. It's costs around $1 per hour to park there in the daytime from 8am, which is super reasonable but remember, you will have to be up early in the morning to put that ticket on if you've parked overnight. If you're checking out, make sure you depart before the ticket expires or run out and put on whatever extra time you need. We didn't see anyone walking around checking or booking cars but the risk isn't worth the extra hour in bed! New Zealand are typically on the ball with things like this! The car park does get busy in the day but if you're arriving early in the
morning, you might have more chance of getting a space.
The first thing we felt with JUCY Snooze Queenstown, was the JUCY community spirit! It was bustling with good, positive energy, full of happy, smiley travellers, high on life. Whether they were going to or coming back from a ski on the mountain or a tour around the town, there always seemed to be someone saying hello! Despite this, the corridors of the hotel, were chillingly quiet and the second we closed the door on our room, we had pure silence. The room was modern and very well designed, to make the most of the space and even felt like we had a bit of privacy from the kids, with a wall separating our big bed from their bunks! It had a tv, some storage space, a private shower room, toilet and even a little balcony, which looked up at the forest and mountain! It was super bright and airy with floor to ceiling windows and even though the room, doesn't come with heating system you can adjust yourself, if you're warm you can open a window and if you're wanting to be extra toasty, they have heaters you can request from reception.
The rooms didn't have tea making facilities and they request you keep food and hot drinks to the social areas of the hotel, which certainly shows in the hotels immaculate appearance, but we did meet some great people in the communal kitchen! As a family with children, I wasn't sure if this set up was practical with kids but it worked really well! We came, we cooked, we ate at the breakfast bar, the kids got loads of attention from the others in the kitchen while I cleaned up and we headed out for the day! There is a really popular pizza place on the top floor, if you're looking for somewhere to eat on the premises. We didn't have time to check it out and I am not sure what times they are open, but we overheard people raving about it!
When you arrive, check what time the opening and closing times are for the kitchen, so that you know when to make your first or last cuppa! Especially if you're keeping your food in the kitchen, you don't want it locked away in there, if you want to eat it. They have large refrigerators, if you need to keep anything cool, but make sure you keep this in a container or bag to keep your stuff together, and use the labels provided. JUCY are pretty awesome at keeping things, clean and organized for your convenience but this will mean getting rid of food if it is just left about without a label, regardless of the date.
Overall, we didn't spend too much time inside because we were out exploring! We highly recommend:
- Taking a walk up the hill to the bottom of the mountain. You can take the Skyline gondola to the top but if you're feeling up to it, you can walk up to check out the views or eat at the restaurant and don't forget about the Luge ride, if you're feeling adventurous!
- On your way up or back down the little hill from the Skyline gondola, nip into iFLY Queenstown! It is an indoor skydiving centre, where you can experience what it feels like to jump out of an aeroplane, without actually jumping from an aeroplane. The best thing about it is, if you don't want to give this a go, you can simply sit in and watch others giving it a go, for FREE! It is very entertaining and now the children want to have a go...very clever iFLY!
- Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the world and even though we didn't go skiing, we've been told by many, it's one of the best places in the world for it!
- Take a walk into town, check out some of the sights, shopping, pubs, cafes and don't forget to try a #fergburger! They are world famous and although the line is always crazy long, it does goes down pretty quick. Top tip - eat before or after lunch to avoid the longer lines.
- Take a walk around the lake! The views are pretty impressive down there and the walking track goes on quite a while. The longer you walk on, the quieter and more picturesque it gets, if you're looking for a bit of peace!
- Visit Onsen Hotpools! It's only a short drive away from the town centre, but it really made our whole experience in Queenstown. You can enjoy the pools in any weather, whether you have the magical experience of snow falling onto you while you're bathing in the hot water in winter, or if you're admiring the view over the Shotover River in the summertime.
CHRISTCHURCH
Christchurch was the last stop of a nine month journey around this part of the world and was our short stop, before over forty hours of travel to get back to the UK. A lot of travelers either start or end their journey here, so it is great to stay somewhere just minutes away from the airport. The depot for JUCY vehicles is just down the road, and with free transfers provided from here, if you're dropping off a car or camper van before you leave, you are guaranteed an easy start to your journey.
Just before you pull into JUCY Snooze, you pass a big supermarket and a wide variety of different restaurants and dining options. If you missed these, they are literally just around the corner from JUCY, not even a few minutes walk. We did dine in the Mexican place and although it wasn't cheap, the food was really good but with the supermarket next door, if you're really restricted on budget, you can always cook in JUCY's huge, open plan kitchen!
We pulled up to JUCY Snooze Christchurch and couldn't believe the size of the place! This also meant plenty of parking outside the building and is definitely felt through the design of the whole building, to the size of the rooms, to the communal areas, even the hallways! It may still be best to call ahead, to see if you can book parking, although it was free, we visited New Zealand during a quieter period and it is likely to get a lot busier in peak season.
The hotel overall is very geared to making sure, that if you're flying in or out of Christchurch, you have the best possible experience, while also not being too far away from the town itself, if you want to head in and explore. The bus stop is located just opposite the supermarket and we paid just a few dollars each to get into town. Here we enjoyed more eating options, big parks for the kids, tram tour rides and we even visited the famous 'Quake City' museum, which we highly recommend!
The reception is open 24 hours, making it easy to check in and out for any timed flights, you can request wake up calls and there are even kiosks available to make payment!
We were delighted to spot the laundry room straight away, meaning we could do the washing we had, before going home! It comes complete with washing and drier machines and you can buy laundry detergent from reception for just a few dollars. The machines take coins and reception were more than happy to change money for us.
Although you can join other travelers in the cool 'pod' style accommodation, this isn't your only option and with the children, we opted for a private room again! As with the other locations, we were presented a with modern, clean and spacious room! Probably all our favorite area in the building though, was the famous, large open plan communal area. You wont battle for space with anyone in this, there is so much worktop space, cooking tools and seating. Whether you're looking for a swing chair, a beanbag or a hammock, you will find somewhere to plonk yourself down and enjoy some down time, in this light and airy space. Even when it's fairly busy, it is big enough to find some space to enjoy time alone. There is a vending machine in here if you're feeling hangry and even a super cheap hot drinks machine! Don't forget the outside bbq area, if you're feeling adventurous and want to enjoy the good weather! Overall this modern, quirky accommodation and hang out, made our last few nights in New Zealand, easy and pleasant!
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We do not earn money through the links above. We were hired by JUCY Snooze, to put together a video and other social media content, during our complimentary stay with them. We were asked to give an honest review and put together some helpful information for anyone interested in staying there. If you enjoyed this, or it has been useful to you, please let us know :) Thank you!
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