Two senior members of management at The Rees Hotel Queenstown, along with interests associated with New Zealand investment firm Pioneer Capital, have purchased management rights to the hotel and will this week take control as part of a broad plan to expand the brand into a chain of five boutique properties.
Current hotel CEO Mark Rose and Bruce Davidson have sought the interest of Pioneer Capital by promoting the hotel’s reputation for leadership and its established culture – two assets which will be leveraged as part of the development strategy for the brand.
By purchasing the management rights, Rose and Davidson plan to develop The Rees Hotel Queenstown as the centrepiece in a strategy which will see a network of five hotels in popular tourist locations, each with their own unique identity and service culture.
With all existing staff being retained, the new management structure will see Rose remain as CEO and join the Board of Directors. Davidson will assume the role of Chairman. Mike Pohio will join as an Independent Director while Pioneer’s interests will be represented by Randal Barrett and Shayne Shepherd.
The company said in a statement that the management purchase and expansion plan “will be a very exciting opportunity for all parties and will provide benefits for apartment owners, management and staff and provide certainty of ownership and supply of capital.”
CEO Mark Rose added his excitement that the strategic move, in planning for a considerable period of time, was now being implemented.
Pioneer Capital’s Randal Barrett added that “Mark and his team have built an exceptional tourism offering in The Rees, and we are delighted to be partnering with them as they expand the product to address increasing inbound demand.”
The Rees Queenstown last month took out the New Zealand Hotel category at the 2018 HM Awards. Its fine dining establishment, True South, has also been widely recognised with awards for service and its wine list.