New look for landmark

The iconic 1970s era Tennyson Motor Inn in Napier has closed with plans to reopen in the near future with a new name and new management.

The 42-room inn will reopen as the Central City Inn, doing away with the Tennyson brand which has been around since it was built on a Tennyson St-Clive Square East corner site sold to developers when the Napier Baptist Church moved to Riverbend Rd in 1969.

The owners of the 40-year-old, four-storey establishment shut the doors following the collapse of leaseholder Albert Square Ltd, now in liquidation, and have formed a new company, Central City Inn Ltd, with Colin and Ann Davidson as managers.

Maureen Young, of Tennyson Properties (2009) Ltd, which owns the building and has formed the new company, says it will be "completely refurbished" for the first time since it was built, and it is hoped it will reopen by October 1.

In the industry since buying a motel in 1972, and also a partner in the Harbour View Motor Lodge at Ahuriri, she says the refurbishment includes the remodelling of the former Antraz Restaurant on the square side of the ground floor as a cafe and bar.

There are some hopes of entrances facing Memorial Square, as the eastern part of the square has been known since 1921.

She is heading to Melbourne this week to make further decisions on the refurbishment, part of at least $1.5 million to be spent on the development which is taking shape already with the new branding on the building.

An auction firm acting under instruction from liquidator John Managh has removed Albert Square chattels, including bedding, furnishings and appliances, to be sold to meet some of the liquidated company's bills.

Central City Inn regrets not being able to open in time for the Rugby World Cup which runs from September 9 to October 23, with games in Napier on September 18 and 27.

As the Tennyson it became a popular hotel for conference guests and bus tour groups, plus top sports teams, including the Canadian team when it was in Napier to play Tonga on the third day of the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, later rating the establishment as an integral part of its preparation for a surprise cup debut victory.

It has been through repeated troubled times, and changes of owners and tenants, struggling in recent years against competition from new motor lodges on Marine Parade.

But businessman Brett Burgess, owner of the neighbouring spanish mission styled Provincial Hotel maintains that there is a future for the two establishments on the squares.