Dunedin lodge harks back to bygone era
An accommodation provider operating out of one of Dunedin’s most highly regarded residential heritage buildings is up for sale.
Hulmes Court Bed and Breakfast is housed in a grand mansion built in the 1860s for provincial surgeon Edward Hulme, a founder of the Otago Medical School.
The eight-room lodge has been in business for 20 years. Its building is registered as a category two listing with Heritage New Zealand, and it runs at an average occupancy of 88 per cent.
Built from a mix of native New Zealand timbers and imported Baltic pine, the four-storey property in Tennyson St sits on the edge of Dunedin’s business district. The rooms feature Victorian and Edwardian furnishings and decor, and one guest room has its own turret.
Salesman Nick Lucas said Hulmes Court was being sold as a going concern but it had the potential to increase revenue.
At the moment it mainly services the leisure market.
‘‘Its proximity to the city centre though, under a moniker of, say, ‘boutique hotel’ or ‘lodge’ would allow for developing supplier relationships with the corporate sector,’’ he said.
‘‘This would bolster up bookings during the quieter weekdays in the calendar and consequently improve room revenues further.’’
The lodge’s name implied it was a small hobby-style business. However, the venue was fully consented under council bylaws to operate as a commercial accommodation provider.
The business had seen a 12 per cent increase in income during the 2016 financial year, Lucas said.
Beneath the B&B’s communal lounge, dining, and kitchen areas is a 40-square-metre self-contained staff apartment with a bathroom and a living area.
The property has off-street parking for guests.
January data from Statistics New Zealand shows Dunedin’s motel/apartment segment had the highest occupancy rates for commercial accommodation providers in the city, at 67.9 per cent.