Patterson Family Buys Christchurch’s Hotel Montreal

The Patterson family, owners of the Commodore Airport Hotel in Christchurch and the Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, have purchased the Hotel Montreal for an undisclosed sum.

The Pattersons, Michael, Thomas and Ken, as part of their long-term plan, have for some time been looking for a suitable hotel in the centre of the city to purchase, but few fitted their criteria for size and quality.

Previously owned by Lilly Cooper, the Hotel Montreal contains a mixture of 26 rooms and apartments, plus restaurant, bar and conference facilities.

Michael Patterson said that as a strong family business, they are delighted to be buying from another strong family-oriented business owner.

“Hotel Montreal’s size is a perfect fit for us and complements our Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel as well as the Commodore. The timing, we believe, is also ideal. The first phase of Christchurch’s rebuild programme is nearing completion with the likes of the Town Hall and Te Pae, the Council has given the green light for the new stadium, restoration of the cathedral is under way and many other projects are on the books.

“Couple that with the eventual return of tourists to the city and we think Christchurch is heading into an exciting era,” he said.

This year marks 50 years of involvement in the hospitality industry for the Patterson family, having opened the Commodore Hotel in 1971.

“We are really excited about Hotel Montreal’s future. It has a great reputation, is well located, has excellent carparking and is the perfect size for hosting corporate events and conferences. The five-star apartments suit well the level of clientele we are looking to attract.

The Patterson family are long-term investors in their businesses. They built extensions to the Commodore Hotel in 2001, 2005, 2013 with a refurbishment in 2018 and after their purchase of the Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel in 2016, they built a further extension in 2019.

“Hotel Montreal has good space around it for future development, if and when we see fit. This is another strong positive for our family business,” Michael Patterson said.

Thomas Patterson will manage Hotel Montreal, Michael Patterson will remain as manager of the Commodore Hotel and Ken Patterson remains managing the Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel. The Pattersons take over Hotel Montreal at the end of October.

About Hotel Montreal

Built in 1988, Chateau Blanc Suites was one of the first hotel apartment complexes in New Zealand. It opened as an apartment hotel with 36 one-bedroom apartments, all with cooking facilities; as well as two penthouses. In 2012, following the Christchurch Earthquakes, the South East building was demolished reducing the hotel to 26 rooms. Following extensive refurbishment, the hotel reopened as Hotel Montreal in September 2014. It was owned and operated by Lilly Cooper and family with management by the George Hotel for a period.

Hotel Montreal has a mixture of Junior Suites (50-55sqm), Family Suites (70sqm) and a Penthouse (162sqm).

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