KEY POINTS:
Rugby World Cup fans pouring into Auckland during 2011 could be staying in a new vertical mini-city, following resource consent approval for New Zealand's tallest block.
Marcus Beveridge, the Auckland lawyer representing Korean developer Dae Ju Housing Co, said yesterday that Auckland City had just approved the 67-level
Elliott Tower.
And that monster tower and another high-rise Dae Ju is planning on Shortland St could help meet strong demand in four years' time.
Plans for the 232m, 259-unit Elliott Tower were unveiled last November, but the skyscraper planned for a Victoria/Elliott/Albert St carparking site has taken a year to get planning approval.
The block on the old Royal International Hotel site will be almost as tall as the Sky Tower and Mr Beveridge said he was confident at least some parts of it could be used to meet Auckland's need for new accommodation during the Cup.
About 70,000 overseas visitors are expected to descend on New Zealand in 2011, many arriving in Auckland and all needing accommodation. Can we fit them all in? Where will they stay? And what's being done to plan for their needs?
Developers are seeing dollar signs and have a string of new hotels planned for Auckland, although many new projects are still in covert planning phase.
Already announced is Bluewater's new Quay St waterfront hotel in the heritage Britomart project in the CBD. A refitted building is becoming the 151-room Auckland City Hotel Hobson St, opening next year.
Behind the scenes, Auckland International Airport is in the process of securing a consortium to develop a major and much-needed hotel in its Manukau precinct. Plans for that long-awaited project are understood to be nearing finalisation and an announcement is expected in the next few months.
Discussions are also under way to convert former office blocks into hotels. Property experts say some blocks would work as hotels, such as the nine-level Feltex House on Symonds St due to its ridge-top spot.
James Parkinson, a director of hotel/tourism consultants Horwath HTL, said Auckland had 9000 hotel rooms now but his firm had projected an extra 1500 to 1750 rooms by 2011.
He is confident the city will respond with a range of accommodation solutions, from people's houses to motel rooms to five-star hotel suites.
"We've done modelling work to suggest that it's achievable to have 35,000 people in Auckland as long as people are willing to be innovative," Mr Parkinson said.
Cruise ships, fleets of campervans and houses would all be needed to supplement supply and meet demand in Auckland, he said.
Discussions were under way between Cup officials and Ports of Auckland to free up more of the waterfront for cruise ship accommodation.
Rugby fans would also stay outside Auckland in tourist drawcards such as Rotorua and fly in for one match, as happened during last year's Lions tour, he said.
The last thing he wants to see is developers clamouring to build towers of hotels which could stand empty post-2011.
"The worst outcome would be for a whole raft of new supply to come in," Mr Parkinson said.
More rooms will be added to the Auckland area's 182 motels and a campaign run in Wellington for the Lions tour resulted in a website being set up to act as matchmaker between rugby fans and residents.
This could see Aucklanders renting their houses short term to the fans, he said.
One giant French-headquartered chain also hopes to add to its seven Auckland hotels, branded under the Novotel, Ibis, Mercure, Windsor, All Seasons and Formule names.
Accor hopes to build on the site of the former Reserve Bank building at the intersection of Customs St and Gore St.
One American World Cup website is already directing fans to a range of stays, from downtown Auckland backpackers from US$18 ($23) a day to the SkyCity Grand on Albert St at US$263. That site, nzrugbyworldcupinfo.com is telling rugby fans of an Eden Park bed-and-breakfast on Bellwood Ave.
* WHERE TO STAY
International-standard hotels like Hilton and Westin.
Budget hotel, motel and backpacker accommodation.
Cabins on cruise ships or in fleets of campervans.
Residential houses rented out during the short-term.
Areas outside Auckland, arriving here on day-trips.