Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport - Luxury hotel - Hotel Story

Nau mai, haere mai to Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport.

Our hotel story is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of Aotearoa. From the moment you enter the lobby, the history and story of Te Arikinui comes alive.

From the hotel’s name to its distinctive three-pointed star shape and unique cultural designs embedded in both its exterior and interior, our five-star luxury hotel story is a stunning expression of the significance of this location to the iwi of Tainui.

Below is a short video and further below are short descriptions of the many wonders of the hotel story embedded in Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport

It all starts with the name – Te Arikinui.

The name Te Arikinui has been gifted to the Pullman Auckland Airport by the late Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII.

It’s meaning is ‘Supreme Ariki’ or ‘Supreme Paramount Chief’ and in addition to being the chiefly title carried by his mother, Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu, it is available to all future successors should they wish to use it.

The name was chosen to reflect the status and 5-star luxury premium experience that our hotel offers.

Our central design concept – Sea to Sky

Featuring heavily throughout Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport ‘Sea to Sky’ hotel story is inspired by the journey of adventure and discovery by the people of Tainui waka following their arrival at Manukau Harbour around 1350.

From settlement at Manukau where the sea provided plentiful food resources and the fertile soils were ripe for growing an abundance of vegetables and fruit, to further inland exploration which established the wider Taamaki and northern Waikato as Waikato tribal territory.

From foreshore to future, from sea to sky.

Unique building shape

Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport’s unique shape with three points (or spurs) is a tribute to key geographic sites of significance related to the journey of Tainui waka:

The northern spur faces towards Taamaki and the Waitemataa Harbour.

The south-eastern spur encompasses the area from Whangaparaaoa in the Bay of Plenty where the Tainui waka first made landfall, to Mookau which denotes the southern tribal boundary, and across to Kaawhia, the final resting place of Tainui waka.

The western spur faces towards the entrance to Manukau Harbour, where Tainui waka headed south from after being hauled across the isthmus from Waitemataa harbour.

Striking features

The building itself is designed to resemble a korowai or cloak. Black tiles on the exterior of our hotel references the feathers of a korowai.

Gold coloured external and internal soffit represent the inner lining of a korowai and reference the metaphor ‘under the protection of the korowai’.

Located at the entrance, the soffit is formed by over 1,500 triangular aluminium panels. Each geometric panel is uniquely shaped with no two panels the same.

This design element was inspired by a story shared by Elaine Preston about Maaori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu: “I recall the grace of The Lady who, although noble in presence, extended her korowai to welcome everyone, particularly children.” The inner lining, a glimpse of gold, reflects her love and warmth for her people and those seeking refuge.

Design materials

The hand-laid terrazzo floor of our lobby is an artwork inspired by ripples left in the sand by receding tidal fingerprints of historic weather patterns along New Zealand’s foreshore. Scattered throughout the floor are seashells, gathered by tribal members, from the Manukau and Aotea harbours.

From lobby to guestroom, a soft, seamless earth to sky transition is mirrored with subtle changes in texture, colour and softness as they move from ground level (darker tones representing whenua) to the upper levels (lighter tones representing sky).

The journey culminates at Te Kaahu Restaurant, where views link to Tainui sites of significance.

Te Kaahu

The hotel story continues to our restaurant Te Kaahu, the full height windows of Te Kaahu restaurant capture extensive harbour and landscape views, including the runways of Auckland Airport. The gull wing-shaped ceilings, subtle references to layered feathers in the custom carpet and feature wall, and the unique LED lighting feature which reflects the flight path of a bird and aeronautical flight paths of aircraft, are all clever nods to the restaurant’s namesake – Te Kaahu, the harrier hawk.

Lift towers

Design is everywhere you look at Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport, even above the elevators.

This pattern is an adaptation of some of the taaniko (embroidered borders of cloaks) designs found on the feather and muka (flax fibre) cloaks held within the private whare taonga (museum) collection of Kiingi Tuheitia.

In 2006, on instruction from the late Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, various designs were selected for incorporation into the tukutuku panel designs at Auckland Airport’s marae, Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa.

Many of these patterns adorned the precious cloaks worn by ariki (paramount chiefs) of years gone by.

Our rooms

The rooms embrace understated luxury within a space that heroes simplicity, comfort, and light. Décor is refined, stylish and features a custom designed carpet referencing the wash of the ocean as it reaches the shores of Manukau harbour.

The inclusion of cultural design elements carved into stone and timber panelling, and applied to fabric wall coverings, and locally made iwi-designed bed throws, provide an interior that is uniquely Aotearoa and seen in no other hotel in the world.

Room entry

Look closer at the doorway to every guestroom and notice a unique and beautiful door panelling design.

This design acknowledges 165 years of the Kiingitanga and its former ariki – Pootatau Te Wherowhero, Taawhiao, Mahuta, Te Rata, Korokii and Te Atairangikaahu. As the current reigning monarch, Kiingi Tuheitia is not shown.

The design also acknowledges those who have steadfastly supported the Kiingitanga including the motu (other tribes of Aotearoa) and generations of Tainui waka descendants.

Also woven into the design is a tribute to the navigational voyage of Tainui waka which utilised the traditional Polynesian celestial navigation skills of reading the night sky to reach its destination.

Myths and legends

Kowhaiwhai – painted scroll ornamentation commonly used on meeting house rafters. At Te Arikinui the design is inspired by five taniwha of special significance to Tainui.

The representation of taniwha (supernatural creature) on the columns and glazing is intended to provide a threshold of protection for the hotel and its occupants.

Mawake nui-a-rangi, Paneiraira, Ihe, and Mangoo-hikuroa are four taniwha who travelled with Tainui waka on its voyage from Hawaiiki to Aotearoa. These taniwha provided directional guidance and protection during the journey and continue to guide and protect us today.

The fifth taniwha is Waiwaia who provides protection to our people along the Waikato and Waipa rivers.

Myths and legends continued

Many of the guestrooms provide stunning views of Manukau Harbour. The taaniko pattern featured within each room explains the history of how the harbour’s coastline was formed.

Kaiwhare was a prominent Taniwha who lived in an underwater cave at Piha, north of Manukau. Kaiwhare regularly travelled to Manukau harbour to feast on his favourite kai (food). Unfortunately, his unique tastes resulted in increasing numbers of local people going missing.

Taamure, a warrior who lived at Hauraki, owned a mere pounamu (greenstone weapon) with the power to defeat any Taniwha. At the request of the local people, Taamure travelled to Manukau and engaged in a great battle with Kaiwhare. During the battle Kaiwhare thrashed his tail so wildly that rocks and boulders were dislodged and thrown all along the coastline.

The shoreline of Manukau Harbour today is the result of this great battle.

Pou (column)

On entering Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport, visitors are greeted by a stunning totara Pou (column) which honours the former kaahui ariki (heads of the Kingitanga).

The Pou faces towards Taupiri, Tainui’s ancestral maunga (mountain) – the final resting place for ariki (leaders):

• Pootatau Te Wherowhero,
• Taawhiao,
• Mahuta,
• Te Rata,
• Korokii,
• The late Te Atairangikaahu

Experience our hotel story for yourself and book now