Sudima chief announces hotel for Auckland near Sky convention centre

Thursday, 19 July 2018

Sudima Hotels owner Sudesh Jhunjhnuawala has announced a new $65 million hotel for central Auckland - opposite Sky City's hotel and planned convention centre.

He said the resource consent was expected to be signed off in three or four weeks and because it complied with planning rules there had not been any issues.

Sky City had sent him congratulations, welcoming him to the neighbourhood, he said.

'They are very happy because they need more hotel rooms for convention centre guests.' 

**READ MORE:

* Convention centres to become the golden egg for hotel industry 

* Sudima announces new hotel for Kaikōura 

* Work starts on $40 million new Sudima Hotel** 

 Jhunjhnuawala said the hotel would have a four and a half star rating.

'At current rates that's a price in the order of $250 to $300 a night but will depend on demand,' he said.

Sudima has four hotels operating in New Zealand with three more at planning or construction.

'We don't want to take on more development work just at the moment because it is quite intensive. We'd rather complete the ones we have under way.

'But I am keen on expanding in future into other centres such as Queenstown, Wellington, the islands, and Australia.

Construction of the Auckland hotel would begin after demolition of a building on the site and would be completed in the summer of 2019-20.

Jhunjhnuawala said most of Sudima's guests were Kiwis, followed by Australians. But the world tourism boom meant there would be a continuing influx of overseas visitors, he said.

The hotel will have 180 to 200 rooms depending on the final design, on the corner of Nelson and Wellesley Streets.

It will include a gym, rooftop bar, and a separate restaurant and bar.

The other two Sudima hotels in development include a $30m hotel at Kaikoura, and a $50m one hotel in central Christchurch .

They will add 400 rooms to the national accommodation hotel stock, and create 190 jobs, Jhunjhnuawala said.