Retro Room To Celebrate 30th Anniversary

To celebrate its 30th anniversary one of the first international hotels built in New Zealand, Wellington's James Cook Hotel has decorated one of its rooms as it was when it first opened in 1972.

The retro room comes with brown and orange décor, flower-power headboard, hessian-painted walls, black and white television and black vinyl chairs, but without Austin Powers and sparkling wine from the seventies.

Pictured in the room are: Austin Powers (aka Darren Taylor), a room service attendant at the hotel); Dorothy Collis, banquet manager; and John Primmer, general manager.

Dorothy Collis vouches for the authenticity of the room.

"It's exactly as it was when I first started working here as a receptionist 30 years ago."

General manager, John Primmer, said word about the retro room had leaked and already bookings had been made for the room.

"Many of our long-time guests have asked for the room during their next stay with us. It's a bit of fun and an opportunity to celebrate how far the hospitality and tourism industry has come over the last 30 years," said Mr Primmer

The gathering of furniture and fittings has taken a while, but over the Easter weekend three original staff members still working at the hotel put the room back as it was.

Bob Staples, chief engineer, has rebuilt the bedside console from the original plans; Denise Thornton, housekeeper, has sourced towels and furnishings as they appeared in glossy magazines and brochures from the seventies.

The room comes at a competitive rate of $130 a night with a special room service menu priced as it was in 1972. Among the items on the menu are pate maison at $2.75, chicken chasseur at $6.00 and black fruit cherry cake at $1.90.

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