Hotel boom hits Arthurs Point in Queenstown

An artist's impression of a new hotel proposed for Arthurs Point in winter.

An Auckland-based Chinese developer is proposing a huge hotel and serviced apartment complex at the eastern edge of Queenstown's Arthurs Point.

Shuguang Li's company '182 Arthurs Point Ltd' has applied for a resource consent for the 2.15-hectare site between Arthurs Point Road and a terrace overlooking the Shotover River.

Formerly the site of the well-known Cattledrome tourist attraction, latterly it's been partially occupied by The Hangar Works, which provides co-working office space. It would be demolished.

The proposed hotel, up against both the main road and an adjacent hillside, includes 157 guest rooms and nine guest suites over four, four-level wings.

One wing's cantilevered over the hotel's grand entrance. Between the wings there's a conference centre, a small meeting room and a restaurant/cafe.

There's also a specialty restaurant with a large outdoor dining area overlooking the Shotover River valley.

A health spa complex, semi-buried into the hillside, includes a swimming pool, spa rooms, sauna and jacuzzi deck. The hotel, designed by Queenstown's Warren and Mahoney Architects, is cruciform, or cross-shaped.

There are 124 basement-level carparks and, at ground level, 17 carparks and six coach parks.

The complex also includes 102 serviced apartments towards the Shotover River end of the site.

They're split into three, two-to-four-storey blocks, and step down the slope.

According to the design statement, this part of the project's "driven around minimising the visual impact in the landscape".

Mountain Scene was unable to contact Shuguang Li this week.

It's understood he lives in Auckland but spends most of his time developing in China.

Queenstown-based Mangahou Holdings Ltd failed to get a smaller development off the ground 10 years ago, despite council approval.

Almost the entire site is located in Arthurs Point's 'rural visitor' zone.