Country overview: Over 7,000 rooms in New Zealand’s pipeline [Infographic]

by | 26 Jan 2021 | Projects

A peek into the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database reveals that the hotel sector will see steady growth in New Zealand, especially in urban centres like Auckland and Queenstown.

48 hotels with 7,441 rooms are in development across New Zealand. We take a closer look at these projects and let you know which ones to keep an eye on.

Hotel openings by year in New Zealand

2021 will be a busy year with 25 projects slated to launch, adding 3,187 keys to the country’s offering. Two of these hotels are already in the pre-opening phase.

2022 will likely be quieter with only nine hotels and 1,615 rooms currently set to go live. The same goes for 2023, which has four hotel openings with 943 keys pencilled in.

For 2024 and beyond, another ten projects and 1,696 rooms are in the pipeline, but more will likely be confirmed in the meantime.

Of these 48 new hotels, just over 75% will be in the four-star segment, while the rest will be in the five-star category.

New Zealand’s key growth markets

Auckland will see the most pronounced growth over the coming years, with 14 planned openings and 2,726 additional rooms.

Queenstown comes in second place courtesy of its eight new properties and 1,711 keys. And Christchurch concludes our list of the top three urban growth markets – it has four upcoming openings and 462 rooms.

Top brands expanding in New Zealand

Quest Serviced Apartments will add five properties and 263 rooms to its local portfolio, our researchers report, making it the most active brand overall.

Elsewhere, DoubleTree by Hilton will grow its offering by three properties and 551 keys. This puts it just ahead of Radisson Blu Hotels & Resort, which is planning two launches bringing 389 new rooms into play.

Noteworthy hotel projects around New Zealand

Earmarked to open in late 2023, Waterfall Parks Development Arrowtown, a 380-room scheme, has proven controversial ever since the plans were originally submitted; local environmentalists fear Waterfall Park Development’s proposals could have an adverse impact on the environment. The property is due to include a wellness centre and significant conference facilities in the heart of the countryside.

Meanwhile, the 76-room Tryp by Wyndham Tory Street Wellington will reflect a 1920s art-deco theme reminiscent of ‘old Chicago’, and offer conference space, a fitness room and a rooftop deck and spa. The planned hotel is ideally positioned close to the waterfront, a five-minute walk from Cuba Street’s famous strip of restaurants and bars, for which Wellington was dubbed ‘the coolest little capital in the world’ by Lonely Planet. The hotel will open in early 2022.

Lastly, the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) is aiming to become the country’s preeminent event venue when it finally launches in a few years’ time. The accompanying five-star Horizon Hotel NZICC, a 303-room newbuild, is expected to open in Q3 2021.

Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.

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