A 150-year-old building which was home to prime-spot seafront Napier B&B Mon Logis is set for a new lease of life after being bought by Havelock North couple Tom and Esther Seymour.
The couple have confirmed they will reopen as an upmarket B&B, with a bottom-to-the-top renovation of the large colonial-style house, starting possibly as early as today.
The purchase from short-term owner Ross Smith was completed last week and, with work including repiling set to commence, the Seymours hope to be open in time for a busy February 2020, including the Mission Concerts triple-header and Art Deco Weekend.
The couple plan to be live-in owner-operators, with five rooms, and Esther Seymour said: "There certainly is a need for some upmarket accommodation close to town."
The Seymours are former farmers but have about 20 years in the accommodation industry. The Napier property will be the couple's first B&B venture. Their biggest was operating the 28-unit Cornwall Motor Lodge in Palmerston North. They have also run motels in Gisborne, Whakatāne and Hawke's Bay.