Cup deadline for airport hotel
A report in The Dominion Post says that Auckland International Airport is aiming to have a high quality hotel next door to its international terminal in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The airport first signalled the idea of a four-to-five star hotel at the terminal in March last year and is now seeking expressions of interest from hotel investors, developers and operators, with the 250-room hotel to be integrated with the international terminal.
However, unlike some terminal hotels, overseas guests will need to clear immigration and customs before checking in.
Auckland Airport’s general manager property, Chris Gudgeon, said the airport was looking for investors to build and operate the hotel on land leased from the airport.
The hotel’s architecture and interior design would be expected to showcase the landscape and multicultural nature of New Zealand, Auckland and Manukau City, he said.
The hotel concept includes meeting rooms, restaurants, bars, a swimming pool, business centre, gymnasium, library, movie theatre and carparks.
Mr Gudgeon said the airport was sending a proposal document to a long list of potential hotel operators, developers and investors. The airport also had a shortlist of companies specialising in terminal hotels that it hoped to hear from. “We’re confident there will be a lot of interest from hotel developers.”
Construction of the hotel would take about two years, so it could be open well before the Rugby World Cup in 2011, Mr Gudgeon said.
New Zealand Hotel Council chief executive Mark Oldershaw said he thought the airport would attract widespread interest from hotel companies.
Hotel operators in New Zealand would see it as a good way of diversifying their product, he said.
The airport is also in negotiations with a hotel company about building a budget hotel on airport land, though it would not be in the terminal area.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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