Renewed confidence in Trans-Tasman travel due to the success of the Australia-New Zealand bubble has led Quest Apartment Hotels to confirm opening dates for seven new properties in the country over the next 14 months.
Five of the seven new properties are situated on the North Island and two in the South Island, with Quest to open the first four before the end of 2021. First off the blocks will be the 51-room Quest Takapuna, which will open in June.
Three new openings will follow over three months, in the form of Quest Mt Eden in September, Quest Queenstown in October and Quest on Cambridge in Christchurch in November. From 2022, the company will cut the ribbons at Quest Lambton in Wellington next February, Quest Hastings in June 2022 and Quest Mt Maunganui in July.
The moves help Quest bolster its position as the largest single-brand hotel operator in New Zealand, having grown its presence from its entry in 1998 to 42 properties once the seven new locations are all open.
With more people entering New Zealand within the bubble than leaving, the commitment builds on previously declared growth plans identified by Quest, which saw the original opening dates of each property pushed back a few months due to the pandemic and the subsequent slowdown in corporate travel.
Quest Apartment Hotels Managing Director, David Mansfield, said the company’s expansion in New Zealand was reflective of its commitment to being where the corporate traveller needed to be.
“These new hotels are coming to fruition at a time when Aussies and New Zealanders are taking advantage of the chance to traverse the Tasman for business and leisure,” Mansfield said.
“Early uptake of the opportunity has been very promising, but naturally there’s also been some trepidation in the market, with some travellers understandably erring on the side of caution.
“Now a few weeks in, confidence appears to be building, so while Quest is primarily focused on the domestic market, with such a strong brand presence, we are confident we will yield some good results.”
All seven of Quest’s new locations in New Zealand have been purchased by franchisees.