Plans for Wellington’s first new hotel for more than a decade were unveiled last night.
Construction of the $150 million development is to start early next year.
Tourism Minister Mark Burton said that when completed in early in 2004, the complex – a four-star Holiday Inn hotel and retail, office and residential developments – would be an ideal addition to Wellington’s thriving tourism industry.
The 170-room hotel, opposite Wellington railway station and bounded by Featherston St, Whitmore St and Bunny St, is the showpiece in a development expected to be a boon to Wellington’s visitor economy.
Melview Developments have signed a deal with Six Continent Hotels, which will run a 16-level hotel on the site. It is the first purpose-built hotel built in the city since 1990.
Independent research showed that Wellington city hotel occupancy rates increased to 70 percent in the 12 months to May this year. The rate for the previous year, 67 percent, was well above the national average of 47 percent.
Melview director Nigel McKenna said the site was one of Wellington’s best, being handy to the central business district and its retail precinct, Parliament, ferry terminals and the WestpacTrust Stadium.
The ground floor will consist of shops while the first and second levels will be undercover parking for hotel guests and tenants. The first floor will contain a fully heated 18-metre swimming pool, a gymnasium, sauna and plunge pool and three conference rooms.
The announcement of the deal ends a pre-development period which involved High Court action by a neighbouring business opposed to the building of the complex alongside it.
In August, the court turned down an application for judicial review by Downtown Backpackers, which had challenged the original resource consent given to Shiraz Properties, a subsidiary of Melview.
By Paul Mulrooney, The Dominion Post
