Menzies building owner aims to open hotel next year
Hotelier Geoff Thomson is targeting September next year as an opening date for his new 150-room, 4.5-star hotel in Invercargill.
Thomson bought the Menzies building in lower Esk St last year with a plan to turn it into a hotel.
He gave Invercargill City councillors an update yesterday and asked that the council come on board to help integrate lower Esk St with the CBD in the future.
As well as the Menzies Building, Thompson has also bought the former Southland Frozen Meats building at 8 Esk St, with a plan to develop that into residential accommodation for hotel staff.
A further three buildings in lower Esk St will be demolished to make way for a hotel car park, while two heritage buildings, at 13 and 18 Esk St, just behind Wachner Place, will be retained and repurposed.
Thomson was joined by WSP’s Luke McSoriley, who is working with Distinction Hotels on the project, at yesterday’s presentation. ‘‘Esk St West is badly in need of some changes and this is a good opportunity to revitalise that part of town,’’ McSoriley said.
Councillor Alex Crackett asked Thomson what his timeline was.
‘‘We’ve started selling rooms from September [2023] . . . I’d like to think we’d be open by then,’’ he said. ‘‘But if we aren’t, we will work around that at the time.’’
Thomson believed there were significant tourism opportunities for the city to help fill the accommodation, along with demand from business travellers.
Councillor Ian Pottinger asked Thomson if the escalating costs of construction raised concerns.
The Invercargill-based hotelier founded the Distinction Hotels chain, which has 13 hotels throughout New Zealand and now wants to add one in his home city.
‘‘I’m not really worried about the cost; it’s about the outcome. If it costs more than it should, I don’t mind – this is not done in a normal business model,’’ Thomson said.
The Menzies building is seven storeys high and was opened in June 1966. The plan is to add an additional storey on the main building, as well as two additional storeys at the rear wing of the building at The Crescent, as part of the hotel project.