Grafton Hotel is an eight-storey hospitality development in central Auckland, comprising six levels of guest accommodation above a two-level basement car park. Located on a steeply sloping urban site, the project required extensive collaboration between the structural, geotechnical and temporary works teams to develop a retaining and excavation strategy that directly influenced the permanent structural design and construction methodology. The building utilises a composite steel and concrete structural system supported on bored piles socketed into rock, with lateral stability provided by reinforced concrete shear walls and steel concentrically braced frames (CBFs). The structural scheme was carefully configured to align with temporary works sequencing, slope stability requirements and buildability constraints, delivering an efficient, resilient and durable solution for a challenging city-centre site.