French hotel group Accor is to develop an integrated Novotel and Ibis hotel complex next to the new Ascot private hospital at Ellerslie.
Extra accommodation outside the hospital was one aspect development company Grafton Group and hospital owner Calan Group knew would be needed once the hospital and associatedmedical facilities were operating.
Accor, owner of the Novotel in Queen St, downtown Auckland, has come up with a development worth $30 million, putting 150 rooms in the four-star and five-storey Novotel and 100 rooms in the three-star, three-storey Ibis.
The hotels are scheduled for completion in the middle of next year. They rank second and third on Accor's hierarchy of five brands and will be part of a group totalling 2800 hotels around the world.
The $60 million hospital is due open next month. It will have six inpatient theatres, six day theatres and 132 beds and is the first development on a 3.8ha Greenlane Rd site bought from the Auckland Racing Club two years ago.
The twin hotels would be the first international chain premises built outside the central business district in Auckland, Accor's managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Michael Issenberg, said yesterday.
He said the hotels would be developed so they could work closely with the new hospital, but would also cater for business travellers, people attending conferences and exhibitions, and racegoers.
Grafton Group director Stephen Gubb said the site allowed synergies between hotel and hospital, was a short distance from two other hospitals - National Women's and Green Lane - from medical specialists in Remuera, and Expo Centre and Logan Campbell Centre convention facilities.
Accor will also build a Wellington Ibis hotel and opens the Hamilton Novotel Tainui in May.
