HELLO ADELE
Tourism bosses roll out the red carpet
Forget the Auckland housing crisis — chart- topper Justin Bieber had his own accommodation crisis in the lead- up to tonight’s sold- out gig at Mt Smart Stadium. Sources revealed to the
Weekend Herald a mad scramble to find suitable accommodation for the baby- faced 23- year- old ahead of the one- off Kiwi show as part of his Purpose World Tour.
It is understood the Canadian singer flew to Queenstown last night and stayed at the Sofitel there.
But he is due in Auckland today and Bieber — who closely guards his privacy — apparently did not want to stay in one of the city’s five- star hotels during his stay.
Instead he was keen to keep away from fans and the prying eyes of the media and relax at a private home in one of Auckland’s leafy suburbs.
But a source said that up to a week before his arrival, Bieber and his management hadn’t been able to find anything suitable to meet his list of demands.
One option had been the fivebedroom $ 20 million harbourside house which Hollywood A- li ster Jason Statham stayed at while filming shark film Meg in and around Auckland last year.
But that property wasn’t available.
A real estate source revealed to the Weekend Herald that that sparked a flurry of panicked calls to Auckland agents who deal in high- end properties seeking options to house Bieber.
“There were many calls from Australia [ where Bieber had been touring] and his management team in the US,” a source said.
As Bieber prepared to land in Auckland late this week his management finally secured a multimilliondollar mansion in an inner- city suburb for their star client.
It is understood the property has a rental rate of $ 25,000 a night.
The Weekend Herald has been told that the managers of Adele — who arrives in the City of Sails early next week ahead of her three gigs at Mt Smart Stadium — recently rejected the property as her Auckland base because of security concerns.
Adele is expected to fly into New Zealand on Monday.
Meanwhile, Auckland tourism bosses are on alert to host Bieber and Adele during the chart- toppers’ stay and ensure they make the most of the City of Sails.
While mother- of- one Adele will have much longer in Auckland to check out the best tourism, food and culture offerings in the city, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development ( Ateed) confirmed it was on standby for any hosting or travel tip requests from the stars.
The pro- active stance comes after agents acting for fellow chart- topper Kendrick Lamar contacted them at the last minute for tourist tips during his brief stay here last year.
The possible guide for the A- list visitors includes visiting Hauraki Gulf hot spots, the world- famous beaches on Auckland’s west coast or scaling one of the city’s many volcanoes for views money can’t buy.