NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Property

Wet your whistle: Future options for Windsor Castle

By True Commercial
NZ Herald·
23 Aug, 2019 05:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The landmark hotel is for sale, with consent to build apartments around the building. Photo / Supplied

The landmark hotel is for sale, with consent to build apartments around the building. Photo / Supplied

A corner site in Parnell, home to the former Windsor Castle hotel for more than 150 years, is up for sale with a resource consent to develop apartments in and around the historic building.

The 998sq m two-level building and outdoor area and the 890sq m of land it sits on, at 144 Parnell Rd, at the intersection with Windsor St, is up for tender with council approval for a mixed-use development incorporating the heritage classified premises.

"Under this proposal, the building would be home to over 400sq m of high quality food and beverage premises on the ground floor with two apartments above," says Alan Haydock, director of Bayleys' Auckland City & Fringe division.

"A further 11 boutique apartments would surround the existing structure and the development also has approval for 26 car parks using a triple stacker system."

Haydock and fellow Bayleys' senior broker Cameron Melhuish are marketing the offering, which is a trophy listing in the agency's latest Total Property portfolio. Tenders close at 4pm on September 18, unless the property is sold earlier.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The building is being sold partially occupied, with annual holding income of $60,000 plus GST being generated from upper level office accommodation.

Drinks company East Imperial Ltd, which exports New Zealand-made mixers, including tonic and soda water, to over 30 countries, has a licence to occupy the entire first floor and four car parks for $5000 plus GST per month. This can be terminated with one month's notice by either party.

The ground floor and basement, which are divided into a number of bars and function areas and were previously occupied by the hotel, are being offered with vacant possession.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Haydock says the vendor has added considerable value by obtaining consent for a mixed-use redevelopment that would maximize the value of the full site and which could commence almost immediately.

However, it would be over to the next owner as to whether they activated that consent or pursued their own plans.

"Given the building's strong location and heritage status, it would suit a wide range of uses. An owner occupier could create bespoke premises for their business, making full use of the building," says Haydock.

Another resource consent was also issued in 2011 to subdivide the ground floor and basement areas into multiple retail tenancies, utilising the building's extensive glazing along Parnell Rd as shop windows. This consent is valid until 2021.

Melhuish says the building was extensively refurbished internally and externally to a high standard in 2000 with the upper level converted to character office space.

"Structural strengthening was undertaken as part of this refurbishment and its seismic assessment of 53.9 per cent of New Building Standard (NBS) is good for a building of this age."

"A subsequent owner has taken measures to further strengthen the property to increase the seismic rating to 100 per cent of NBS. Some of the work needed to do this has already been undertaken and could be completed as part of any future upgrading of the building."

The current Windsor Castle hotel was built constructed in the early 1850s and is one of Auckland's oldest remaining brick buildings.

Originally constructed as a Georgian drinking house, the hotel was remodelled in the 1880s when architect, R. MacKay Fripp was commissioned to create a large Victorian corner pub. An elaborate Italianate facade was added which still dominates its appearance.

Heritage New Zealand bestowed a Historic Place Category 1 classification on the building in 1997, saying it makes a strong contribution to the streetscape of Parnell and adds considerably to the historic character of the suburb.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Over its life, the building has been added to and refurbished but many of its character attributes have been maintained,"
says Melhuish. "Given the exterior of the building has the highest possible historical protection, any further work needs to be respectful of that."

The ground floor layout features a restaurant area, which is accessed off the ornate corner entrance to the building and includes an adjacent outdoor dining space. Beside this is a bar with a courtyard and a separate entrance from Parnell Rd.

The ground floor also contains a commercial kitchen and cold storage as well as additional storage space and an office. There is currently stacked parking for six cars off Windsor Street.

A 36sq m basement area was the Windsor Castle's original cellar. More recently it has been used as a private function room.

The upper level has its own separate access and comprises character offices. "This floor provides elegant, high stud office accommodation with original polished wooden tongue and groove flooring," says Melhuish.

Haydock says the property is superbly positioned on a high profile corner site at the CBD end of Parnell's main thoroughfare, close to some of Auckland's best restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. "It is also within easy walking distance of multiple public transport options, including the Parnell train station."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Property

Property

NZ’s UFO house for sale - Starship Enterprise meets Bond villain lair

11 Jul 03:30 AM
Property

Legal hook means buyers risk losing thousands on Kāinga Ora homes

10 Jul 11:23 PM
Property

Ryman sales down, Summerset sales at record levels

10 Jul 11:14 PM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Property

NZ’s UFO house for sale - Starship Enterprise meets Bond villain lair

NZ’s UFO house for sale - Starship Enterprise meets Bond villain lair

11 Jul 03:30 AM

The unusual-looking property boasts out-of-this-world views and interior design.

Legal hook means buyers risk losing thousands on Kāinga Ora homes

Legal hook means buyers risk losing thousands on Kāinga Ora homes

10 Jul 11:23 PM
Ryman sales down, Summerset sales at record levels

Ryman sales down, Summerset sales at record levels

10 Jul 11:14 PM
Fashion power couple selling their multi-million dollar art villa

Fashion power couple selling their multi-million dollar art villa

10 Jul 08:51 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP