Five-star lodge in a prime location

OFFERS CLOSE on Friday [Dec 7] for a five-star lodge strategically located between Canterbury, Otago and the Southern Alps.

The 1.5-hectare Glendeer Lodge, at 51 Scarborough Rd, on the southern outskirts of Timaru, combines 350 square metres of guest and live-in accommodation with landscaped native gardens and a large flat lawn for hosting weddings under a marquee.

There’s also a deer-raising paddock for breeding white fallow deer as farm pets.

All furniture, fittings, manchester, and marketing collateral are included in the sale.

The business has been running commercially for 13 years and has a five-star rating under the Qualmark accreditation programme.

It operates from September to June, with nightly rack rates of $199 to $260 a room; about 70 per cent of its guests are international tourists.

‘‘Glendeer Lodge has been structured in such a way as to cater for the upper tier of free independent travellers,’’ Sue Morton, of Bayleys Canterbury, says.

‘‘It’s above your standard bedand-breakfast or motel-type operation but just below the exclusive boutique high-end $1000-plus a night lodge strata.

‘‘It’s a business model which has seen the enterprise thrive while allowing its owners to enjoy a balanced work-life revenue stream.’’

The upper level of the lodge comprises the owner/manager’s two-bedroom private residence, with its own kitchen, office, and dining and lounge areas.

It also has a separate entrance and stairwell, and a private wraparound balcony overlooking the countryside.

‘‘The upper level owner/ manager’s accommodation is configured in such a layout that it could easily be integrated to become part of Glendeer’s room pool should any new owner look at expanding,’’ Morton says.

‘‘While guest amenities at Glendeer Lodge do include a full kitchen, most guests prefer to travel the short distance into Timaru and take advantage of the range of dining establishments the town has to offer.

‘‘The kitchen facilities are most commonly used for the preparation of breakfasts or for take-away picnic lunches.’’

The property also includes a four-bay garage, water heating and electrical points within the energy-efficient lodge are powered by two solar systems and bottled gas, and a self-contained sewerage plant.

‘‘The location of Glendeer Lodge means it is very much a destination resort rather than just somewhere guests randomly ‘pop in’ while driving past on State Highway One,’’ Morton says.

‘‘The structured nature of forward bookings allows for a high degree of room servicing.

‘‘As a result of being a destination, Glendeer Lodge’s owners have invested considerably in on-line marketing, particularly through booking system Trivago and the B&B Inns marketing network.’’

She says the lodge also receives a substantial number of bookings from a neighbouring fly-fishing business, whose customers take advantage of the venue being within a 90-minute drive of lakes and rivers.

Morton says hunting, skiing, trail-biking, kayaking, high-country hiking and mountain activities also draw tourists to greater Timaru.

‘‘At the end of Scarborough Road, 500 metres away, are the southern-most link to Timaru’s cycle trail and beach access to the Jack’s Point surf break and lighthouse.’’

For more information, contact Sue Morton on 027 600 5777 or at sue.morton@bayleys.co.nz.