Slice of colonial history

By COLIN TAYLOR

The settlers, the longest surviving hotel name in Whangarei, is up for sale and being marketed nationally and internationally.

Sitting on the banks of the Hatea River, the hotel retains the name of the original Settlers Hotel, built on the corner of Walton St and Cameron St in the 1850s.

The first hotel, run by a Mr and Mrs Naylor, was destroyed by fire in 1875.

A similar timber-built Settlers was built just a year later but it suffered the same fate in the early 1900s.

A bigger and more substantial hotel, with brick and plaster facade, was built to replace it and became the centre of business and social life in Whangarei.

When previous owners Lion Breweries opened the hotel on its present Hatea Drive site in 1967, it was the largest and most upmarket hotel in Northland, with 60 en suite bedrooms.

The Settlers Hotel is on a 10,150sq m site next to a council-owned reserve, which has substantial lawns and gardens maintained by the hotel.

The property is about 500m from Whangarei's central business district and near the Town Basin tourist centre.

The site selection, architectural concept and landscaping are all attributed to Lady Myers (the mother of business leader Sir Douglas Myers), who lived on site to supervise the construction while the hotel was being built.

"Lady Myers knew what she wanted and ensured it was done properly," says hotel manager and managing director Charles Everest, who heads a consortium of eight mainly local shareholders selling the property.

"She was a very determined lady who wanted the colonial architecture and theme of the hotel to be retained."

Everest describes the Settlers Hotel as "a Northland icon". It has a more fire-resistant, solid concrete structure than its predecessors, while keeping the colonial theme with timber beams and chandelier-type fittings.

The hotel's solid kauri bar counter is said to be about 100 years old, saved from the burned remains of the second Settlers Hotel along with other decorative timber work. Antique glass panelling and Northland memorabilia items from the earlier hotels are also a feature.

The 733sq m public area and service block includes the Hatea Room, a small function room with seating for 30, which is popular for seminars and "get away" sessions. The entertainment area incorporates a lounge bar, guest lounge and a conservatory, as well as a pool table and large-screen television.

The restaurant caters for 80 and can accommodate up to 110 people for private functions.

There are 53 en suite guest rooms, with the front accommodation block comprising 28 standard studio rooms with Sky TV. The rear block, which was redeveloped in 1998, has 25 rooms designed for the corporate travellers.

A 114sq m, three-bedroom unit caters for the manager.

The hotel was upgraded after being sold to the Everest consortium in 1989 by Lion Breweries, which employed Everest as manager.

"The original hotel contained 20 small singles rooms, which would be totally unacceptable to today's market," Everest explains.

About seven years ago, 12 of the singles were converted into six four-star guestrooms - with computer jackplugs. Most of the remaining singles communicate to these new guestrooms, forming family suites.

"The hotel is operating well as a going concern," Everest says.

The original shareholding was designed to purchase and operate the hotel for five to 10 years. Some of the shareholders are now approaching retirement age, so they would like to realise on their investment after 14 years and do other things.

Everest describes the Settlers as "a city-centre hotel", with most of the midweek visitors being corporate business clients.

But its outlook over the Hatea river and adjoining reserve gives it "the feel of being in the countryside".

Everest says the restaurant is "a very attractive room with brass fittings and follows the colonial theme of the hotel - even to the extent of having linen tablecloths and serviettes".

The Settlers is a popular venue for wedding receptions at weekends, with many couples married in its gardens.

"Sports teams also supply a good proportion of weekend traffic," says Everest. "And in the summer months we have been getting increasing numbers of overseas tourists - especially when the accommodation is backed up in the Bay of Islands."

Darran Hewitt, marketing agent Bayleys Realty Group's Northland office, says the property has substantial development potential and it may be possible to build up to 100 more rooms, further entertainment areas, conference facilities and shops on the site.

The property is for sale by tender closing on August 22 as a freehold going concern encompassing the hotel buildings, chattels and business.