City’s five-star Pullman employs close to 500 as build surges

Saturday, 13 September 2025

An artist’s impression of the Pullman Hotel reception lobby.

Close to 500 people are now earning a living from Hamilton’s new five-star hotel, with crews swarming over the Mistry Centre on Ward St as it transforms into the Pullman Hamilton.

Developers say the headcount — on site and across suppliers — underlines the project’s role as one of the CBD’s biggest employers right now, and a bellwether for the city’s confidence.

Developer Sanjil Mistry said the construction push had shifted up a gear in recent months and remained on schedule.

Developer Sanjil Mistry says the construction push at the Pullman Hotel has shifted up a gear in recent months and remains on schedule.

“The Mistry Centre project the Pullman Hamilton has made substantial progress in the last few months and we are still on track to complete the project in late 2026 as planned.

“Despite a challenging economic environment we are proud to say we look to support local trades and tradies where we can, and we estimate that the project employs close to 500 people - on and off site - in the region at any one time.”

Behind the glass and scaffolding is a $100 million overhaul of the city’s tallest building — 19 levels in total, 17 above ground — into a 191-room premium hotel with a rooftop bar and private lounge, plus conference and office space.

Sanjil Mistry (left) and Pienaar Piso, the men behind the Pullman development in Hamilton's CBD, show off the sort of views that’ll be available from their new high-end roof top bar by the end of next year.

The landmark tower looms over Centre Place and is being refitted floor by floor: reception and a restaurant at ground level, conference and office space on levels 1 and 2, hotel rooms from levels 3 to 14, a rooftop bar and restaurant on level 15, and a private lounge on level 16.

Window work has become the daily drumbeat. Old panes have already been stripped from 11 levels, with levels 12 and 15 due to come out by the end of September.

Of the 1830 new window panels needed, 1280 are in and 550 remain. The next significant stage involves removing the remaining old windows on levels 1, 2, 12 and 15, then installing the new glass soon after.

With the envelope nearing completion, the team says internal room fit-outs and broader construction will swing into action from September, bringing another wave of trades through the doors.

The latest render of the reception-level lobby shows relaxed zones in place of a traditional long counter, with rounded check-in pods, low armchairs and a communal table. A sculptural stair leads to upper levels, while full-height sheers soften the light from the street. Stone and timber details, plus greenery and subtle lighting, give the space a contemporary feel.

An artist’s impression of Pullman Hotel room entrances.

The scale of the programme is obvious from the street, but the developers say the ripple effect is wider — local fabricators, joiners, sparkies, plumbers and suppliers are feeding into the job, while designers lock in the final details for the high-end bar and lounge.

On the top floors, panoramic views will be the showpiece.

“It’s going to be phenomenal,” said co-owner Pienaar Piso, who added that while some design furniture is being imported, “everything else gets built here, constructed on site.”

Of the 1830 new window panels needed, 1280 are in and 550 remain.

Accor, which owns the Pullman brand, says Hamilton’s addition is part of a wider premium push across the country.

“Accor Group is looking forward to next year’s opening of the Pullman Hamilton. Pullman is the largest and fastest growing five-star premium brand across Australia and New Zealand, and the 191-room Pullman Hamilton will expand our premium footprint in the Waikato region and follows the recent debut of Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport.”

Mistry and Piso say they are watching every dollar and every bolt. The pair have long-standing links to the city and describe the project as a point of pride — an “iconic” piece of construction they personally oversee line by line.

They say Hamilton is the right place to invest and raise families, and they want the project to set a benchmark for what a central-city redevelopment can deliver.

That confidence extends beyond one tower. In April this year, the developers confirmed they have purchased another CBD building with a view to converting it into a second hotel of around 150 rooms.

They say it’s a newer, existing structure — meaning a much quicker turnaround than a new build, potentially a 13 to 14-month programme — and while a final decision was still to be signed off, they were “most likely to proceed.”