Vintage Vibes Auckland — Discover the City’s Classic Heartbeat

Auckland may be a modern harbour city, but beneath its skyline lies another rhythm — one built on craftsmanship, character, and quiet style. Vintage Vibes Auckland is our celebration of that timeless side of the city: the art-deco hotels, retro bars, antique stores, and heritage icons that keep Auckland’s soul shining through the glass and steel.

Created by the team behind Vintage Views, Auckland’s original double-decker sightseeing tour, this series invites you to explore the people and places that share our passion for design that lasts and stories that matter.

Why “Vintage Vibes”?

When we restored Dorothy — our 1960s London Routemaster — we learned something important: history isn’t just about the past; it’s about care. The same spirit that guided her restoration lives in the city around us — in polished brass door handles, record-player cafés, and family-run boutiques filled with treasures from decades gone by.

Each Vintage Vibes story celebrates Aucklanders who keep that spirit alive. These are not tourist spots; they’re living landmarks, the kind that reveal what makes this city quietly extraordinary.

Auckland’s Vintage Map — Five Districts, Endless Stories

Our double-decker tour traces the perfect path through Auckland’s vintage heartbeat — from the CBD’s art-deco architecture to Ponsonby’s boutique flair, K Road’s creative edge, Parnell’s leafy heritage, and Mission Bay’s seaside nostalgia.

This page will grow to showcase each neighbourhood’s best classic finds:

  • 🏨 Hotels & Venues: elegant stays, historic halls, and heritage bars.

  • 🛍️ Retail & Things to Do: vintage stores, antique markets, and retro events.

  • 🧭 Stories & People: profiles of Aucklanders who restore, design, and curate with love.

What You’ll Find Here

  • Hotels & Venues: grand stays, restored halls, timeless wedding spaces

  • Retail & Things to Do: vintage shops, antique markets, retro cafés

  • Stories & People: the artisans, restorers, designers, and operators who live the vintage life

  • Dorothy in the Wild: photo pairings of the Routemaster parked in vintage locations

As the series grows, this landing page will act as the hub — the heart — pointing you toward the individual gems.

Our First Feature — The Grand Windsor: Auckland’s Art Deco Icon

We begin our series at one of the city’s finest examples of preservation and grace: The Grand Windsor (Fable Auckland), a 1928 masterpiece that redefines art-deco luxury for the modern traveller. From its marble foyer to its heritage-inspired suites, the Grand Windsor is proof that elegance never ages.

👉 Read the full feature →

Join the Vintage Vibes Movement


Want your business or venue featured? We’re looking for partners who live vintage — cafés, galleries, boutique hotels, antique shops, local artisans.
Let’s collaborate: we’ll bring content, photography, and audience; you bring the atmosphere.
If you believe in character, heritage, and good stories — we want to share yours.

Join Us on the Journey

Follow Vintage Vibes Auckland for new stories every month — from boutique hotels to hidden ateliers and retro bars worth lingering in. We’ll also share collaborations with local makers, restorers, and creative brands who share our belief that beautiful things deserve to be used, loved, and seen.

And if you’d like to see Auckland’s classic side firsthand, there’s no better view than from the top deck.
🎟️ Book the Double Decker Discovery Tour →