A lodge like no other in Hawke’s Bay

TENDERS CLOSE on March 27 for a jewel in the crown of Hawke’s Bay tourism that once hosted the Queen Mother.

The historic Greenhill Lodge, at 103 Greenhill Rd, Raukawa, near Hastings, is one of the North Island’s most exclusive luxury lodges.

Built in 1898, the pioneer-style lodge, complete with an imposing three-storey tower, has five opulent guest rooms and sits on 29.5 hectares of freehold rolling countryside overlooking meticulously manicured gardens and rolling pastures.

The nightly individual rack rates for two people in the high season range from $1190 to $1560 a room (there’s also a two-bedroom standalone cottage).

Originally the homestead for the enormous Maraekakaho Station, the lodge’s most famous guest was the Queen Mother.

She stayed for two nights in 1958 and literally made it one of the ‘‘jewels in the crown’’ of Hawke’s Bay’s accommodation sector, says John Greenwood, of Bayleys Auckland, who’s marketing the lodge with Fiona MacKenzie, of Bayleys Havelock North.

Greenhill’s heritage classification limits how much the main homestead, with its ma¯ tai floor and ko¯ whai panelling, can be refurbished or expanded but Greenwood says there’s plenty of scope to add accommodation options.

‘‘Any new commercial accommodation amenities could be new-builds replicating Greenhill’s existing pioneer-style design, by bringing in suitable re-locatable cottages from that late 1800/early1900 era, or going totally modern.

‘‘The addition of guest rooms would obviously allow Greenhill Lodge to host more and bigger corporate events or functions, and add to the guest capacity which could be housed for weddings.’’

He says the template for this is the two-bedroom cottage, which already operates as if it was part of the main building.

‘‘For corporate functions, Greenhill Lodge is constrained to hosting up to 10 guests in its dining room, so the addition of a bigger function facility elsewhere on the property would also be a development option alongside potential accommodation expansion.’’

Greenwood says there has been considerable investment in the lodge over the past 17 years, with the installation of heat pumps, bathroom underfloor heating, and fire extinguishers, and new decor and furnishings in most of the guest bedrooms and communal spaces.

‘‘Both occupancy levels and room rates have grown as a result of the investment spent on Greenhill Lodge’s guest amenities over the past six years, along with marketing through the Small Luxury Hotel network, which appeals to high net-worth free independent travellers,’’ Greenwood says.

Only seven New Zealand properties are members of the Small Luxury Hotel alliance and Greenhill Lodge is the only venue in the North Island.

The business employs two fulltime food and beverage staff, a housekeeper, and gardener. (Owner/manager’s accommodation comprises two separate bedrooms, kitchenette, and lounge area within the main homestead.)

The property’s former stables have been converted into a gymnasium and there’s an inground swimming pool with an adjacent fireside dining area.

Greenhill’s gardens are highly respected among New Zealand horticulturalists, Greenwood says.

Many of the exotic tree species that renowned colonial landscaper Alfred Buxton planted, including white fir, Spanish fir, medlar, almond, and holm oak, and a Japanese pagoda, are listed within Hastings District Council’s plan as substantial groves. But his signature design was the property’s long, winding, tree-lined gravel driveway, which keeps the homestead hidden until the last moment.

Greenwood says the lodge also could revert to a luxury private residence and be let out through the likes of Airbnb when not in use by its owners.

❚ For more information, contact John Greenwood, on 021 970 077 (john.greenwood@bayleys.co.nz) or Fiona MacKenzie, on 021 968 880 (fiona.mackenzie@bayleys.co.nz).