Trust Hotel At Akaroa Proposed

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30975, 3 February 1966, Page 9

Trust Hotel At Akaroa Proposed

The only way to restore and improve Akaroa’s tourist trade was to provide one first-class hotel with graded tariff, said the Akaroa County Council’s chairman (Mr G. P. A. de Latour), in evidence yesterday to the Licensing Control Commission.

He said the council favoured the formation of a licensing trust, and if this was approved by the commission, the council would investigate the establishment of a trust hotel.

read his report on Banks Peninsular hotels. He said three licences instead of the present six should suffice for Akaroa county.

To Mr N. G. Clark (Bruce Hotel, Ltd.), Mr Jenkins said that a new hotel at Akaroa would not generate its own demand, but would take business from the other hotels. A new licence was not needed. nor did he think a tavern licence would be necessary

"The present state of affairs is chaotic, and we consider that one of the finest tourist spots in New Zealand is being neglected." said Mr de Latour Fire had destroyed the Bruce and Metropole hotels and with them, 75 per cent of the hotel accommodation The town had four licences, two of which were for temporary bars. The council would not be asking for a new licence if there was any assurance that private enterprise would replace the lost hotels.

Senior-Sergeant O. D. Wilkes, for the police, said the county had six licences, four at Akaroa, one at Duvauchelle. and one at Hill Top. There were 38 hotel beds in the town. The local constable favoured provision of one large hotel to cater for visitors, particularly from November to Easter.

An inspector for the commission, Mr R. W. Jenkins,

The Police Department, he said, favoured one licence for the Grand Hotel, and one for a new hotel at the other end of the town, and retention of the Duvauchelle and Hill Top licences.

“The inspector’s view is that Akaroa is so close to Christchurch that people go for the day and go home,” said the chairman (Mr S. T. Barnett).

“If we had a good hotel, we could keep it full.” said Mr de Latour. Use of Accommodation

He would not agree with the inspector’s view. In 1951, the Meitropole Hotel had 2331 guests, and in 1961, the year before it was burnt, it had 8000 guests. It w'as safe to assume the Bruce Hotel figures would be at least as good. “Your message is that if private enterprise won’t build a decent hotel, the community should have a chance?” asked Mr Barnett. Yes. said Mr de Latour. He did not agree that this might mean extinction for the other town hotels, which, on the figures he had produced, would be justified.