New motel to feature first electric car charging facility

FOUNDATIONS are being laid for the first stage of Zachary's Motel.

A new motel with a host of environmentally-friendly innovations is set to open in Levin by the end of the year.

Zachary's Motel will sport Levin's very first electric car charging facility, as well as LED lighting, solar panels and eco-friendly options wherever possible, according to namesake Zach Barton, member of the well-known local entrepreneurial Barton family.

The Bartons are expanding their business portfolio, with foundations already under way for the 18-unit motel, situated opposite Barton's furniture shop on Oxford St.

Barton said they decided to build the motel as Levin increasingly becomes a stop-off for travellers.

"There is a high demand for accommodation in Levin," he said.

"The current motels have good occupancy levels."

He said it was the addition of the expressway that prompted the build.

Units will be air-conditioned and sound-proofed, powered by a solar panel system. Solar panels will also heat the motel's water, in turn saving power.

"We aim to provide each and every one of our clients with the very best of everything," Barton said.

The motel will be built in two stages - manager's quarters first and then the units.

Barton said ongoing running of the motel would be done in a way that was as environmentally sustainable as possible.

"We are going to continue to be eco-friendly where we can and when viable," he said.