Sudima announces new hotel for Kaikōura

Tuesday, 26 June 2018

An artist's impression of the Sudima Kaikoura.

Kaikōura will soon have a new $30 million hotel operating under the Sudima brand.

Sudima Hotels has the go-ahead to build a new 4.5-star hotel in Kaikōura, designed for domestic and international leisure travellers and offering 118 rooms, a restaurant and bar, conference facilities, gym and pool.

Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala, the chief executive and owner of Sudima Hotels.

The hotel is scheduled to open at the end of 2019 on the shoreline at 114 The Esplanade on the corner with Yarmouth St, will have an outlook to the mountains and sea and be within walking distance of of restaurants and bars.

Kaikōura Mayor Winston Gray said the new hotel would be a game changer with employment opportunities and adding a quality venue for locals and visitors for events or conferences.

'Since the earthquake we've had a lot of disruption, including a few times where accommodation in town was completely sold out.

'This project sends a positive signal to locals,visitors and investors that Kaikōura is on a path to becoming better than ever.

'It will give confidence to other investors that Kaikōura is on the move and I'm really looking forward to the development getting underway.'

About 60 per cent of all travellers to the South Island go through Kaikōura.

The town has long been a major destination for domestic and international tourists, and tourism spending and visitor numbers are rising again following a 13-month, post-earthquake repair project to restore the damaged part of State Highway 1.

Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala, the chief executive of Sudima Hotels, said the new development would attract other tourism investment.

'And importantly for us, the addition of a Kaikōura hotel will strengthen Sudima Hotels national portfolio, especially in the South Island, where we have an existing Christchurch Airport hotel and a second in construction in Christchurch's city centre.'

The hotel will open as a 'single-use plastic-free' hotel, consistent with the company's goal to be single-use plastic-free for all its hotels by 2020.

Sudima was also working with Be Accessible to design the hotel to Gold or Platinum accessibility status.

The General Manager of Destination Kaikōura, Glenn Ormsby, said the reach, influence and additional profile from having a hotel chain like Sudima Hotels located in Kaikōura 'cannot be underestimated'.

Sudima's other hotels are at Auckland Airport, Lake Rotorua, Christchurch Airport, and a new Christchurch City hotel is due to open in summer 2019.

Before the hotel opens, Sudima Hotels will unveil a re-brand 'with a modern, contemporary and guest centric identity'.