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Growing visitor numbers spur the sale of alpine luxury lodge
Growing visitor numbers spur the sale of alpine luxury lodge
The forecast growth in international tourism numbers through Canterbury and the recovery of region’s corporate sector are credited as being the key drivers for channeling guests to a high-end alpine lodge which has been placed on the market for sale.
Grasmere Lodge near Arthur’s Pass midway between Christchurch and the West Coast is an exclusive venue based around an original limestone homestead built in 1858 and subsequently expanded as an accommodation provider to now feature seven upmarket suites and a stand-alone chalet with four bedrooms.
Rack rates at the lodge range from $837 to $2254 – although that does include a four course gourmet dinner matched with wines, full breakfast, four-wheel drive tour of the property, home-baked cookies, and complimentary use of the venue’s mountain bikes and full-size snooker table. It has the capacity to accommodate up to 30 guests.
Grasmere Lodge land, buildings are being marketed for sale by Bayleys. Salesperson Chester Rendell said Grasmere attracted not only high-end corporate bookings and leisure travelers from Christchurch some 118 kilometres away, but was also a destination for longer-stay international visitors making their way from Canterbury over to the West Coast.
Grasmere’s grounds stretch across a total of some 66 hectares. Amenities within the property include an in-ground swimming pool, gymnasium, and wood-paneled hunting lodge style library, lounge and games room. Tenders for the property close in February next year.
In August, Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key announced the Government’s Tourism Growth Partnership (TGP) was investing in international visitor promotion body Canterbury Tourism Partnership to grow the number of overseas holiday-makers booking vacations in the province.
Some $600,000 is being invested in the Canterbury Tourism Partnership to support the rebuild of the tourism sector in the Canterbury region. The Canterbury Tourism Partnership focuses on delivering a strong recovery of the Australian holiday market after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.
The partnership will also lift the Canterbury tourism sector’s capability to attract more leisure visitors from China, and will broaden new commercial opportunities for tourism operators across the region. The programme is a collaboration between government, Christchurch International Airport and Christchurch City Council.
The TGP fund prioritises funding to proposals which show innovation and get better value from our international visitors’ expenditure as well as projects that can make a real difference to lift productivity of the tourism sector and overcoming barriers to growth.
“Grasmere will, by virtue of its offering and location, benefit from any showcasing of the Canterbury region and the expected subsequent upturn in international visitor numbers,” Mr Rendell said.
“The lodge’s sits in a strategic location at one of the gateways to the West Coast. With the growth of eco’ and adventure tourism along the West Coast, supported by Government funding, accommodation operations will piggyback off the region’s increasing prosperity from this sector.”
The continuing growth of business activity in Christchurch would also have a positive spin-off for the lodge, following several lean years in the aftermath of the two big ‘quakes, he said.
“As larger corporate entities begin repopulating their Christchurch operations, there will also be a parallel growth in the meetings and incentives market which Grasmere has traditionally been very strong in,” Mr Rendell said.
“The room configuration of Grasmere allows for the hosting of small corporate meetings and functions which traditionally book weekday stays, with the domestic leisure market booking Friday and Saturday night short-breaks.”
Latest figures from the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand show that almost one in nine jobs (11.2 percent) held by Westland District residents are in the tourism sector.
The association’s August industry review spotlights that $288 million a year is spent by international and domestic visitors on the West Coast – equating to 20.4 percent of the region’s gross domestic product.
Tourism Industry Association chief executive Chris Roberts said: “This highlights that tourism is a significant and valuable part of the region’s economy and there is plenty of potential to grow tourism even more.”
ENDS
Bayleys Real Estate
New Zealand
Bayleys is New Zealand's largest full-service real estate company. We offer expertise in the marketing and sale of a wide range of property, including residential real estate, farms and lifestyle blocks, and commercial and industrial property. This includes tourism and business sales such as hotels and motels. We also cover the real estate markets in Fiji and other Pacific Islands.
Bayleys also provides a complete property and facilities service including property management and valuations teams focused on achieving both Owner and Tenant satisfaction.
No other real estate company can match our breadth of coverage across all market sectors throughout New Zealand.
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