LE QUESNE'S WAIKATO HOTEL, EAST HAMILTON

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1210, 1 April 1880, Page 2

LE QUESNE'S WAIKATO HOTEL, EAST HAMILTON

The Waikato Hotel, built at East Hamil. ton, for Mr Le Quesne, the largest most substantial, and haudsomest building of its kind in the provincial district outside of the City of Auckland will be opened for business this week by Mr Buck. The building itself is three storied and of brick stuccoed, and has a large frontage to both Grey and Clyde-streets. It is very similar in appearance to the Waitemata Hotel in Queen-street, Auckland, though much larger, and is really a very commodious and handsome building. It was designed by Mr Vialou and built by Mr Thorpe, both of Hamilton, has every modern convenience attached to it, and is provided even with fire escapes, while the erection of large cisterns on the roof would render it comparatively easy to extinguish a fire at once in case of accident. There are four street entrances to the hotel, the principal one being in Greystreet for the use of the inmates. This opens into a vestabule with large and spacious hall beyond, a dining room 29ft 6in x 16ft, divided off at will with folding doors into two rooms being to the right, and the bar to the left. The principal entrance to the latter is in the circular comer of the two Btreets. It is by far the finest bar room in Waikato, handsomely fitted with circular counter and suitable furniture, and beyond it is a large tap room, having also communication with the side entrance and passage leading to the stair case up to the Hamilton Hall, which is contained in the second storey of the hotel. On the ground floor and below the hall is a room of the same size some 50ft x 30ft, the billiard room, quite large enough for two tables, in which at present one of Alcock's best is being put up. This room is well lighted and wanned, and will no doubt be a great source of attraction. In the rear of the dining room is a passage, and on the other side of that the buttery, into which is an open window into the kitchen beyond, so that the dinner can be passed through direct from the dining room hot as it comes from the cook. The kitchen is fitted up with a large Leamington range, and the scullery and larder beyond with every modern appliance for the culinary art. The first floor is reached by a wide and easy staircase, and contains beyond the hall before mentioned, the bathroom, for shower and full length bath, hot and cold, four single bedrooms well and suitably furnished. A few steps higher up and we are on another landing, the first floor proper. Here there is a noble drawingroom over the bar and hall in the circular corner of the building, lighted by windows facing Grey and Clyde-streets and commanding a beautiful view of the river and surrounding qountry for miles. It is handsomely furnished as are the two large bedrooms on the same floor, no expense having been spared in the fittings and furniture. On this floor also, above the diningroom and of the same size is a room which is conveniently fitted up as a "commercial room," and will be kept entirely for that purpose, On the third floor are two double bedded and six single bedded rooms, all furnished with every requisite new and of a superior deßcrij)tion. Nearly every room in the house has its fireplace, and to each one of them a bell-pull is fixed connecting with a large string of bells in the passage below. The ceilings of the ground floor and first floor rooms are very handsomely moulded, refleot most creditably on the builder, Mr Thorpe. The house has been furnished by Mr J. R, Vialou, and as the matter was left almost entirely to that gentleman's taste and judgment we need scarcely say that the inner furnishing of the hotel throughout is in keeping with the building itself. A very handsome lamp, prettily ornamented and supplied with a powerful reflector, over the bar entrance, made by Mr Craig, of Hamilton, has been placed. The hall, the passages throughout the extensive staircases and landings are covered with linoleum. There are a dozen handsome pier glasses in massive gilt frames over the various chimney pieces. The hangings to the windows, the paperings and other decorations are all in adinirabje keeping, and for family residence and the gqnvenience of travellers tfye Waikato I^qtel cannot be surpassed by any hquse in the province. The new landlord and fyis amiable wife enter upon their new duties not without considerable experience. Mr IJuck is long and favorably knowif to the s,ett|ers qi Hamilton <^nd Waikatq, having been two years at the Royaji ai/d thrge years with tyessrs Rose and KirktvoQil, a,t Cambridge, and fqr five yeais previously at the Criterion Hotel, Otahitfm.