Further delays for $80 million Christchurch Airport hotel

Wednesday, 13 June 2018

It was supposed to open in December 2017. In August, when this photograph was taken, a mistake with steel at the new 200-room Novotel Christchurch Airport hotel meant a delay until February. Now it's June and, mouldy bathrooms and botched designs later, there's still no confirmation of when exactly it will open.

Bathroom pods installed in an $80 million hotel under construction at Christchurch Airport had to be replaced after they were left in the rain and became mouldy.

The new 200-room Novotel Christchurch Airport was originally meant to open in December 2017, but a mistake with steel last August delayed it until February.

A spokesperson for Christchurch Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns says the airport does not yet have a confirmation date for the opening of the $80m Novotel Christchurch Airport hotel.

Now mouldy bathrooms and what one insider calls a 'series of design and construction cock-ups' could delay the opening until the end of the year.

The Warren & Mahoney designed hotel is a franchise partnership agreement between AccorHotels and developer, Christchurch Airport International Limited, which is 75 per cent owned by the Christchurch City Council and 25 per cent owned by the Crown.

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The hotel website is advertising a September opening date, but a Christchurch Airport spokesperson said they were still waiting for a confirmed construction completion date from the contractor, Fletcher Construction.

Stuff understands pre-fabricated bathrooms for the hotel were left in the rain by Fletcher Construction. They were installed but later found to have developed extensive mould so had to be removed and completely replaced.

A Fletcher Construction spokesperson said: 'Issues with bathroom pods were discovered as part of regular quality control measures at the site, and pods are being replaced to ensure a high quality build.'

Under the franchise agreement, Christchurch Airport will own the hotel which will be run by AccorHotels under its Novotel brand.

The delay has left hospitality staff hired for the hotel disillusioned and looking elsewhere for employment.

Many hospitality staff were hired almost a year ago, ahead of the hotel's planned December 2017 opening date. Some nicknamed it 'Fawlty Towers' and have moved on to jobs outside Christchurch.

In 2016, Christchurch developers and business people criticised the hotel plans, claiming it would damage inner-city regeneration..

Construction problems with the hotel first emerged last August when, as Christchurch Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns told Stuff, some of the New Zealand-supplied steel did not meet requirements.

Contractor Fletcher Construction's quality control processes picked up the issue prior to it being used in construction, but re-supplying led to the delay, Johns said.

A Fletcher spokesperson said this week: 'Incorrect steel was supplied to Fletcher Construction for some of the bracing elements, but this was identified on site before installation and was corrected.'

Stuff understands Warren & Mahoney also forgot to include a boiler room in its initial design and had to redo the plans, leaving inadequate storage space.

AccorHotels New Zealand, Fiji & Polynesia senior vice president operations Gillian Millar said the hotel was 'still on track' to open before the end of the year.

'New Zealand's hotel industry is undergoing a period of record development and, with all new hotels, it's not uncommon for construction timelines and opening projections to be challenged,' Millar said.

A spokesperson for Christchurch Airport said it 'did not expect quality or financial implications arising from delivery of the hotel' and directed further questions to Fletcher Construction.

However, Fletcher Construction refused to answer questions about the hotel's opening date; where the bathrooms and steel for the hotel were manufactured – specifically China as a person working on the project claims; and who would bear the replacement costs.

When asked if it was refusing to answer these questions, a Fletcher spokesperson said: 'Thanks but we have nothing to add.'

Warren & Mahoney have been approached for comment.