The luxury lifestyle hotel QT Auckland has been acquired by NZ Hotel Holdings, a partnership between the NZ Super Fund, The Russell Property Group and Lockwood Property Group.
Dean Humphries, national director of hotels for Colliers, says this acquisition completes a busy year for the partnership, which also acquired the Sofitel Queenstown and has Rydges Wellington under contract.
"These hotel assets will join a world-class portfolio assembled by the partnership in just three years that already includes the 255 room Four Points by Sheraton and 160 room Adina Apartment Hotel in Auckland, 263 room BreakFree on Cashel in Christchurch, and the 203 room Holiday Inn Rotorua," Dean says.
Located in the heart of the Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter precincts, the 150 room QT Auckland, managed by Australasian hotel operators EVT, was the vision of Brett Russell who with his team from the Russell Property Group repurposed a former 20-year-old office building into a world-class luxury hotel, eatery, and entertainment venue.
Not just a hip, avant-garde hotel, the property features destination restaurant and bar, Esther, which is fronted by top international chef Sean Connolly together with one of the city’s only rooftop bars Rooftop At QT. The site offers panoramic views across the Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter precincts and inner WaitematƒÅ¬Å Harbour. The hotel also boasts two conference spaces, 70 carparks, and a fitness centre.
"This is a wonderful example of how we can successfully recycle inner city buildings and hopefully this will inspire others to do so in the future," Dean says.
"Auckland has a large number of older commercial buildings that are perfectly suited to a range of repurposing options, including boutique hotels, residential, transitional and affordable housing and mixed-use developments."
Dean says the 140 room, five-star InterContinental Auckland, which is currently under construction in the former HSBC building at 1 Queen Street and will form part of the wider Commercial Bay development, will be the next example of a world-class hotel conversion when it opens its doors in 2023.
