A right royal destination
Alan Granville has a pretty posh time at Napier’s regal Art Deco Masonic Hotel.
It is safe to say this will be the closest I will get to sleep in the same bedroom as Queen Elizabeth II. I mean, unless she texts me next time I am in London with ‘‘Sup bro, Netflix 2nte? Skux life, lolz, Lizzie W’’, climbing into a bed mere metres from where HRH and Prince Philip visited in January 1954 is as near as I will get to any form of royal slumber.
At the Art Deco Masonic Hotel in Napier, you are never too far from regal memories.
This Grand Dame of Hawke’s Bay hospitality wears its royal connections proudly, as it should. There’s a Royal Suite, royal insignias, royal pictures, and probably Royal Doulton somewhere. After all the Duke & Duchess of York (who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother) also stayed in 1927.
And just like Queen Elizabeth, the Masonic has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, and despite entering a more vintage age, it shows no sign of losing its crown.
The Masonic has been a mainstay on Napier’s waterfront since 1861. Thirtyfive years later disaster struck and the hotel was destroyed in a fire. In stepped architect Stanley Jeffreys to create a hotel that was ‘‘the largest and best appointed in the colonies’’. For a while, the Masonic enjoyed being one of the most modern of its kind in New Zealand.
Then February 3, 1931, happened. The deadly 7.9 earthquake killed more than 250 people and levelled virtually all the buildings in Napier, including the Masonic (although it was fire that mainly devastated the hotel).
But back it bounced and a year later, thanks to Wellington architect W J Prowse, the hotel was reopened in the art deco style of the time.
Over the years, success at Tennyson St ebbed and flowed as a host of owners and refits left the hotel a patchwork of ideas.
It needed a strong hand, it needed some bold ideas. Above all it needed some love. In fact, what it needed was hospitality supermen Neil Barber and Craig Hay. Owners of the building, they stepped up in 2010 to run the business, having dabbled in hospitality before. The mission? Keep it art deco, and move into the ‘‘boutique’’ market. The task? Refit the hotel and make it something to appeal across the board.
Open an award-winning eatery (check – Emporium), keep the casual trade and sports fans happy (check – The Rose Irish Pub), and inject tonnes of colour and imagination into each room (check).
Each room is an explosion of colour. Ornate feature walls, soft headboards and exquisite furnishings abound. The 42 rooms seem personalised, unique not just in shape (this is an old building after all – steps up and down and hidden corners are the norm), but they also each have their own character. This is no cookie-cutter beige motel. We stayed in the Art Deco Suite, with a luxurious king-size bed with all the mod-cons, including a seriously impressive shower and washroom and a separate reading room leading out on to the shared balcony with views of Marine Parade.
The hotel offers the usual choice of suites, king- and queen-size rooms. And for those in a large group, check out the flash Art Deco Apartment, which includes a bathroom with its original claw foot bath, and a living space and balcony that demands partying in.
This hotel is not just resting on the Queen’s approval. Rooms are being updated – the Mark Twain and Anna Pavlova suites, yes, they both stayed here too, have been remodelled, and a new area called The Lounge has just
opened, adding an extra layer of plushness.
Previously a bit of a dead space, the owners have created a tsunami of turquoise elegance – part meeting area, part fancy bar, part place-to-beseen, The Lounge is looked after by baby-faced bar manager Jonathan, a 25-year-old Belgian with a scary knowledge of drinks and mixes. Ask for a simple G&T and you also receive fresh rosemary and some of the finest tonic around. After all, why spoil your nice gin with a sub-standard mixer.
Jonathan is looking to bring more drama and intrigue to your everyday tipple. A house special when we stayed was a smoked negroni, which is actually smoked at the table. I know you are meant to sup on these drinks, but it was hard not to simply skull the subtle-flavoured spirits.
We should be thankful that the Art Deco Masonic Hotel is no ordinary stay. It’s a polished gem that, in its 156th year, is coming into its prime. Oh, and Lizzie, if you’re reading this, give me a buzz – we should hang out.
❚ The author stayed courtesy of the Art Deco Masonic.
The Art Deco Masonic Hotel is a polished gem that is coming into its prime again.