New five-star hotel in Napier prepares to open

Sign of the times, as the opening of the new Swiss-Belboutique hotel nears in Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor

Renovation of a modern Napier building to create a new 5-star hotel is near to completion with opening expected in the next few weeks.

The 52-room Swiss-Belboutique hotel is on the corner of Munroe and Raffles streets, in a multi-storey block built more than a decade ago and opened in 2007 as the home of Price Waterhouse Cooper, accountants now based on the corner of Marine Parade and Albion St.

Swiss-Belhotel International chairman and president Gavin Faull, a former Taranaki farmer whose company has 135 hotels and resorts in 20 countries, said: "This is the first internationally branded hotel in the city and will help to place the attractive art-deco destination of Napier on the world markets."

The company already has New Zealand Swiss-Belhotel operations in Auckland, Queenstown and at Coronet Peak, and Faull expects the Napier hotel to be the best in the city, which has had murmurings of new hotel plans over several years, including Napier City Council hopes for the site of the condemned Civic Building.

He said the company is working with developers who were looking for a hotel management partner for the site, where the first signage appeared several months ago, and where passersby will have, in recent days, noticed interior work including preparation of the type of reception area expected of an international hotel.

A liquor on-licence application is currently with the council.

Faull, who has an office in Auckland and a group head office in Hong Kong, while maintaining farming interests in Taranaki, said: "I am committed to supporting the growth of tourism and development in my country and this is a tremendous step forward in this direction."

"This spectacular upscale hotel is the perfect property to introduce our upscale boutique brand and I strongly believe it is an excellent addition to not just our portfolio but it also stands true to the art-deco destination. I am looking forward to delivering unforgettable and immersive experiences to our guests while having our top priority as health, safety and wellbeing of our guests, team members and business associates."

As well as its "stylish" guest rooms and suites, the hotel will have a bar and lounge area, the Saffron Social Kitchen restaurant – "Indian cuisine with a modern twist" - a fitness centre and on-site parking.

It will also be pet-friendly, catering to the needs of the travelling animal-lover.

Shipping uncertainty within the global pandemic has caused some delays and the opening date is still to be determined, but bookings are being taken and the company.