Rotorua iwi opens high-end luxury spa to the world
Friday, 16 June 2023
Aotearoa’s first iwi built, owned and operated wellness spa has been officially opened on the shores of Lake Rotorua.
Wai-Ariki Hot Springs and Spa was one of the largest developments in Rotorua in the last 20 years and is the first major purpose-built spa and bathing facility since the original Rotorua Bathhouse was built more than 100 years ago.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins officially opened the new luxury spa complex along with Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan and Tourism Minister Peeni Henare.
The new high-end tourism attraction is expected to bring thousands more tourists to the region and will employ up to 90 people, many of them locals, during the peak summer season.
The majority of the project’s funding came from various Government grants and loans totalling $52.2 million, with the remainder paid for by Te Arawa hapu Ngāti Whakaue.
The 4453 square metre development began in 2017, and was officially opened to the public on Thursday.
It features two main spa areas, outdoor pools, private spas, saunas, geothermal mud spas and a café and gift shop.
Pukeroa Oruawhata Group is the commercial arm of Te Arawa hapu Ngāti Whakaue which has built its asset base to over $358 million since 1980.
Pukeroa Oruawhata Group deputy chairperson David Tapsell said Wai Ariki was not only a unique development for Ngāti Whakaue and Rotorua, but also reclaims Aotearoa New Zealand’s pre-eminent position on the global wellness stage.
“Wai Ariki is the living embodiment of the reason the geothermal city of Rotorua was first established,” he said.
“Since the 1800s, people have been visiting our city from all over the world to experience the region’s healing geothermal waters.
“Wai Ariki continues that legacy, reclaiming Rotorua’s title and re-positioning it as an international spa and wellness destination. Wai Ariki will be a game changer for our city, economy, tourism sector, community and our people.”
Tapsell said the opening of Wai Ariki was just the beginning for the hapu that intends to build a 5-star hotel next to the spa in the coming years.
Minister Allan said it was another example of how the Government made investing in the regions a strategic priority.
“Our funding hasn’t just supported the creation of new tourism infrastructure, it helped maintain and create jobs and support industries at a time when it was needed most.”
Minister Henare said an estimated 220,000 international visitors will visit to the region in 2023, and Rotorua was well-placed to welcome international visitors back and tap into the trillion-dollar international “wellness tourism” market.
“Wellness tourism is a high-value visitor category, with total visitor spend on health and wellbeing over $1.7 million just this past April.
“A facility like this, combined with the manaakitanga provided by Ngāti Whakaue and the team onsite providing the services, is a tourism offering of significant potential value for the region,” Henare said.
Elements of te ao Māori are infused throughout the development, including through the physical design of the building, its unique spa and wellness experiences and the development of its brand.
Pukeroa chairperson Malcolm Short said there had been a deep focus on authenticity throughout Wai Ariki’s development.
“Every element is founded on Ngāti Whakaue principles, practices and stories, reflecting the whakapapa (kinship) we have with the natural environment, from the heavens, to the water and the earth,” he said.
The spa is managed by Belgravia Leisure, an Australasian spa and wellness provider with more than 30 years of experience in the industry.
Wai Ariki means ‘chiefly waters’, and directly connects to the origin of Rotorua’s thermal waters, which were called to Aotearoa New Zealand by Ngātoroirangi – the great ariki (chief) and tohunga (priest) of the Arawa waka.
Spa prices range from $160 for a private geothermal bath and up to $980 for a two-person “Sanctuary Retreat”.