Dunedin’s stadium hotel secret is out, thanks to a councillor’s reply-all email chain

Tuesday, 21 April 2026

Councillor Benedict Ong, in a lengthy email chain, inadvertently leaked details about a new hotel proposal for Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Details about a possible hotel at Forsyth Barr Stadium were inadvertently leaked by a councillor who made national headlines for wearing tape over his face.

Like many stories, it started with a simple email.

And like many other stories which begin with an email, it quickly escalated.

Cr Benedict Ong reads from The Trial by Franz Kafka, at a Code of Conduct meeting.

The sender in this case was first-term councillor on the Dunedin City Council Benedict Ong, who sent an email on Monday afternoon addressing the city’s mayor and chief executive.

But Ong, who once wore tape on his face in protest and, while in another meeting, read from Kafka when being censured by his fellow councillors, decided to copy in every councillor, the council’s executive leadership team and six journalists.

That email, entitled: ‘First ever public meeting proposal for first ever public cooperation between DCC and NZ Super-world leading Sovereign Wealth Fund’, soon attracted a range of responses from other councillors.

And like many email chains, it grew. And grew. And grew.

The approach to Forsyth Barr Stadium from State Highway 88.

After a dozen emails, Ong responded about a meeting, understood to be part of a confidential workshop last week, where Russell Group was mentioned as “being a potential developer for our stadium’s proposed hotel”.

He later added “I am not aware of who is involved or what is the timeline for the proposed future hotel for our stadium”.

But that was enough.

On Tuesday night, Dunedin Venues Management Ltd (DVML) chief executive Paul Doorn released a statement confirming what Ong had already announced.

That announcement was that the council-owned company alongside its holding group “have been exploring a number of ways to enhance the Forsyth Barr Stadium precinct and to make the stadium more attractive for hirers”.

That included engaging the Russell Property Group to further develop concept options and undertake a viability assessment for a hotel within the stadium precinct.

“The work is exploring the feasibility of seeking a private sector developer and operator for a hotel adjacent to the stadium,” Doorn said.

Forsyth Barr Stadium chief executive Paul Doorn.

The hotel move was driven by a constraint on hotel accommodation during major events when providers booked out rapidly, he said.

“This is both a constraint on event attraction and a missed commercial opportunity.”

An artist impression of the curtains in action at Forsyth Barr Stadium

The Russell Property Group have been asked to explore whether a new hotel could address this, with the hotel to be developed and operated by a third-party hospitality group within the stadium precinct.

That precinct was within walking distance of the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic.

Doorn, who is set to leave DVML, said moves were underway to increase the stadium's event calendar.

That included a recent transition to Ticketek as ticketing provider, and a move towards large curtains - dubbed the Capacity Reduction System, as “steps in the right direction”.

Ong told Stuff on Tuesday night: “I have not been privy to any information on this nor was it discussed with me as a elected member”.

He claimed to have overheard a brief question from a fellow councillor about the development.

Meanwhile, Doorn noted that an interim report into the hotel was due in mid 2026.