New Sudima Hotel for CBD vows to crack down on plastic

A new Sudima Hotel of up to 200 rooms has been announced for Auckland’s CBD, just two days after plans came to light for a 225-room Indigo Hotel.

And the latest hotel is promising to have a low tolerance of plastic.

Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala, the Auckland-based founder of the Sudima national chain, said his latest block would be developed on the corner of Nelson St and Wellesley St near the NZ International Convention Centre.

“It will have 180-200 rooms pending final design, a gym, a rooftop bar and a separate restaurant and bar. The hotel is scheduled for opening in the summer of 2019/2020,” his statement said.

The hotel will ban single-use plastic items. Plastic water bottles will be replaced by glass. Single-use house cleaning and chef gloves will be replaced by biodegradable gloves.

Plastic food containers will be either reused or replaced by cans.

Plastic straws were banned in all Sudima hotels in January.

The chain was using the equivalent of the height of five Sky Towers Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala

in plastic straws annually, he said.

He is holding discussions with suppliers to change their practices.

“The new Auckland CBD hotel will be single-use plastic free on its opening in alignment with the company’s goal to be single-use plastic free across its entire portfolio by 2020,” he said.

The Auckland CBD development was a significant addition to the portfolio in a sought-after location, he said.

“The area around our site has been extensively developed in recent years and is now a hub for hospitality, entertainment, events and major conferences, so we are looking forward to introducing a new accommodation choice for leisure and corporate travellers who want a high level of service and comfort in a hotel with a focus on sustainability and social responsibility,” he said.

This will be Sudima’s seventh in New Zealand. Auckland Airport, Hamilton, Rotorua, and Christchurch Airport, the new $40m Christchurch CBD hotel opening early next year and recently-announced $30m Kaikoura hotel opening in the summer of 2019/2020.

Also this week, a new Indigo Hotel was revealed as being planned for 51 Albert St, site of the Macdonald Halligan Motors building, subject to heritage preservation orders. Developers 94 Feet said they planned to retain that building’s facade.

Peter Wall of Auckland said he was involved in plans for a new hotel on the site of the 107-year-old Yates Building which his associates intend to demolish, retaining only its facade, scheduled B under Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan.

Government research has found an extra 26 hotels are needed over the next decade to cope with the visitor boom.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has in place a programme, “Project Palace,” to speed up private investment in hotels.

Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown are hotspots of demand and research shows that if demand and supply estimates are borne out, the shortfall in new hotel rooms is expected to be up to 4526 in these places by 2025, over and above new hotels currently planned.

The new Auckland CBD hotel will be single-use plastic free on its opening in alignment with the company’s goal to be single-use plastic free across its entire portfolio by 2020.