The Chateau — ideal for that special occasion

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 11, 6 August 1985, Page 11

The Chateau — ideal for that special occasion

Unless you are a holidaying Japanese company executive or have recently won the Golden Kiwi, it is unlikely you will be able to eat at the Chateau very often — but for that special occasion there is nowhere

in the region which comes close to its top class standard.

Ninety percent of the diners in the Chateau's Ruapehu Room restaurant are hotel guests, but manager Carl Braddock, would like to see more Ruapehu region residents dining there. The restaurant's prices compare favourably with many city restaurants "and considering we are located half-way up a mountain our meals aren't overpriced," Mr Braddock states. "Also this is a top class restaurant and diners pay for the ambience and the expertly prepared food," he says. And excellent the food certainly is. The Ruapehu Room has an extensive menu of dishes which are equal to the world's best. Responsible for the high quality is Hermman and Monika Geister from Germany who have been at the Chateau since June. Hermman worked as a sous chef at the hotel in 1 982 and has returned as head chef. As the Chateau has a fulltime work-force of 80, service is definitely not a problem, with a large and courteous staff taking care of diners' every whim. During the winter season the Chateau employs an additional 70 people to take care of its ski-related business, which includes ski hire and ski instruction.

Bookings are necessary for the Ruapehu Room, which caters for diners between 6.30pm and 9pm seven days per week. For a less formal meal the Chateau has a second restaurant, The Carvery, where bookings are not necessary and the average cover charge is $15. The Carvery is licensed and is very popular with skiers returning after a hard day on the slopes. The T-bar also provides a venue for apre^-ski drinks and forskiersto boastabout their day's exploits! For the Chateau's guests, in addition to the usual facilities provided at a top quality hotel, there are also day care facilities for children and a resident masseur and masseuse to ease the pain in those aching muscles. The Chateau was built in 1929 as a hotel by the Mt Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company. From 1942-1945 it served as a mental asylum and in 1956 was taken over by the Government's Tourist Hotel Corporation, which has been running it ever since. The THC's charter is to go where private enterprise has been and failed or where private enterprise doesn't deem it profitable to go. There are currently twelve hotels in the THC chain,

some of them in the more remote and most beautiful parts of New Zealand. Carl Braddock has been running the Chateau for over three years — and with great success, as it has had the highest annual occupancy of all the Corporation 's hotels every year since he took over as manager. And it looks as if Mr Braddock will retain the highest annual occupancy award this year, with the

hotel being "stacked" for the whole of the ski season. Sixty percent of the hotel's guests are holidaying New Zealanders, with the overseas visitors being mainly Australians with a sprinkling of Japanese and American tourists too. With the hotel's high quality of service and dedicated management team it is easy to understand why it is becoming more difficult to get a room at the Chateau or even a seat in its restaurant!