The vast majority of Wellington’s hotels are operating as normal following Sunday’s night’s earthquake that rattled the city.
While some properties were evacuated as a precaution of the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck 50km south west of Wellington on July 21 at 5:10pm, most have remained open and are trading normally.
“Accor’s five hotels in the region (Novotel Wellington, Ibis Wellington, Mercure Wellington, Mercure Willis Wellington and Mercure Picton Marlborough Sounds) are unaffected with all guests and staff safe and accounted for,” an Accor spokesperson told HM.
“Mercure Wellington Willis Street was closed initially as a precaution and guests have been relocated to the Ibis. The Mercure was subsequently cleared as being safe to re-open around midnight. However, the property remains closed while a full structural assessment is completed before it will re-open.
“All our other hotels (Grand Mercure Wellington Central City, Novotel Wellington, Mercure Wellington and Ibis Wellington) are operating as normal as are Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco and Mercure Picton Marlborough Sounds.
“Accor Hotels in Wellington have a policy that prepaid bookings up to and including Monday 12 August will be refunded or can be rebooked at no charge. Accor will not apply no-show fees during this period,” Accor’s spokesperson said.
Peak body the Tourism Industry Association’s Communications Manager Ann-Marie Johnson told HM the organisation’s building was closed as a precaution on Monday and Tuesday and TIA is now back to “business as usual”.
“Regarding the Wellington hotels, its also business as usual,” she said. “There is some cosmetic damage, as in chipped plaster, and one property was closed temporarily, like many other buildings in the CBD, for a precautionary structural engineer’s check.”
At luxury property InterContinental Wellington, it was business as usual throughout.
“InterContinental Wellington did not suffer any major damage and it was business as usual throughout the weekend and thereafter,” InterContinental Wellington’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Geoff Naumann, told HM.
“The hotel has had some bookings cancel, thought this appears for the most part due to the fact some offices in Wellington are still closed; for either assessments or some superficial repairs.
“Thankfully, in short, it was business as usual for us in Wellington,” he said.