The first FQ Sleepover was held in early September to coincide with the launch of our spring edition – the New Beginnings issue. And while there was no shortage of people to invite editor at large Nicole Saunders and managing editor Sarah Murray hosted a small but selective cohort in an intimate gathering housed at the luxurious QT Hotel at Auckland’s viaduct.
But the journey started before guests even stepped into the hotel as everyone was personally chauffeured there in the stylish Land Rover Evoque. Coming from all corners of Auckland, the guests rode in style in the sleek Land Rovers to arrive at their home for the next 24 hours – the QT Hotel. Positioned just moments away from the waterfront, you know you’re somewhere special as soon as you enter the lobby. Once upstairs the room is an eclectic mix of clean textures, pops of bright colour, and natural hues filled with all the luxe products you need for a sleepover – including pjs, slippers, and even a Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. Our guests spent the afternoon relaxing and reading the latest issue of Fashion Quarterly, before performing a gentle at-home power nap facial on themselves with the help of Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair range.
Once everyone was sufficiently rested it was time to get ready with Dyson, and our guests used the in-house Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer to style their locks. Some took it a step further and got creative with the Dyson Corrale™ cordless straightener too. At 6pm everyone met up at the glorious Rooftop at QT with a golden-hour view overlooking the city as the sun set. There we sipped champagne and ate canapés against the backdrop of the stunning harbour views.
I think it’s safe to say we all reluctantly dragged ourselves away from our superb position and headed downstairs to the private room at Esther as dinner beckoned. Ester feels like the melding of many worlds – Morocco, Sicily, and the French Riviera all come to mind as the mediterranean-style fare was placed on the table, alongside beautiful flowers from Isadia. There was baked sagnaki Keflograviera Greek cheese with honey and chilli, coastal lamb shoulder, and crunchy duck fat potatoes (among other delectable dishes). For dessert we indulged in, what’s possibly, Auckland’s best apple tarte with ice cream and watched as our waiter Flambé what could only be described as alcohol soaked donuts. Alongside our delectable dishes we were served the very best from Villa Maria who had expertly paired one of their unique wines with each dish.
Feeling rather content (and full) the evening ended with many of us heading up to our rooms to enjoy some alone time while trying Estee Lauder’s Concentrated Recovery PowerFoil Mask before bed. After a sleep in we woke comfortable and content ready to begin a new day. We met back down in the private dining room at Ester and over a carte breakfast we listened to Helen Cross aka The Health Engineer who told us about her personal endometriosis journey. Our bespoke sleepover ended with us all being chauffeured home in the Landrover – a special end to a memorable night away.
