A newbuild 12-storey hotel will be constructed in the Auckland CBD to be operated by Hotel Grand Chancellor as the brand grows its presence in the major New Zealand city.
The 191-room development will be the first newbuild for the brand in New Zealand, with the company announcing a site across the road from the New Zealand International Convention Centre on Wellesley Street West.
The company operates two hotels in New Zealand – another smaller apartment-style property in Auckland along with Hotel Grand Chancellor James Cook Hotel in Wellington. The group’s Australasian network also comprises eight other hotels in Australia.
Spread across 10 levels, the hotel will sit on a two-level podium offering a central courtyard with vegetated trellises and native flora. The hotel will enjoy strong levels of natural light, with rooms to offer views overlooking the courtyard or the nearby harbour. A lobby café will be open to the public as well as guests and will convert into a trendy bar by night. A restaurant and meeting facilities will be located on the first floor.
Hotel Grand Chancellor Group General Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Frank Delli Cicchi, said the company is committed to the future success of New Zealand and is investing in its recovery.
“We are not deterred, and we continue to invest in this beautiful country,” he said.
“Our focus is for the construction of the hotel to be completed prior to the opening of the convention centre and ideally the reopening of our border to international travellers.”
Internal design for the new hotel will see a nine-storey mural etched into the precast panels at the southern end. The mural will reflect a forest setting and will be complemented by an array of native plants scattered around the hotel.
Locally based Beca and Ignite Architects have joined forces with Singaporean interior design firm, DPDI Pty Ltd, to deliver the project. Construction is due to begin later this year, with completion slated for 2023.