Hotel on track
A $25 million four-star hotel is on track for Hampton Downs.
The racing and tourism complex is 45 minutes south of Auckland International Airport and has acquired a reputation as one of the best motorsport facilities in the Southern Hemisphere.
The plan was always to have a hotel at some stage, Hampton Downs commercial manager Mike Marsden said.
But since Tony Quinn and his team moved in more than a year ago, the pace of development seems to have gathered a new momentum, Marsden said.
Lack of accommodation in Hamilton, Auckland and near Auckland’s airport is a major driver behind the build, he said.
‘‘At some of our biggest events, we can get over 20,000 people.’’
The competitors, their families and their mechanics alone make up about 1200 of those, so being able to stay on site will help massively, Marsden said.
With an event on 30 weekends of the year, the feasibility is there, he said.
‘‘There’s also constant business throughout the week with car manufacturers.
‘‘They can bring teams of 30 or 40, who all need somewhere to stay.’’
Hampton Downs is also increasing in popularity as a conference space, Marsden said.
‘‘The conference space opens us up to a much bigger audience and puts us in a position to do international business.’’
The four-star hotel is in its final stages of planning and is expected to open in mid-2019.
It will be two or three storeys and include 68 rooms, conference facilities, restaurant facilities and a gym.
‘‘There’s a desire to have it branded with a popular international hotel chain, which we are working on at the moment. There’s a small chance it would be under private management.’’
There are already 80 privately owned apartments at the track, which belong to investors or act as a beach house for those keen on motor sport.
These are sometimes hired out, but not a lot, Marsden said.
‘‘It’s a world-class motor sport park and a hotel bodes well with that.
‘‘It comes at a good time for us. We have a number of other initiatives under way as we look to grow Hampton Downs as a destination.’’
An information centre is expected to open in January next year, along with a cafe offering coffee-roasting experiences.
A tourist driver programme is also in the mix. Foreign drivers have had a lot of attention recently after some horrific accidents, Marsden said.
‘‘We think there’s a need for this type of service and we’re conveniently located for those coming from the airport.
‘‘Overseas drivers can call in here and do a basic course, which will put them in better stead to be on our roads.’’
The goal is to have between 200,000 and 250,000 more visitors to the track annually, Marsden said.
This will be a combination of international and domestic tourists, plus locals just looking for somewhere to go for the weekend, he said.