The comprehensive redevelopment of the former industrial site in a key waterfront location in Napier’s Ahuriri area envisaged high quality apartments, office buildings and cafes in addition to the new wing added to the hotel, which was the first stage to be realised.
The WSP Architecture design provides five floor levels including service rooms and plant in the basement, the shell for a restaurant on the ground floor and hotel studios above. Floor levels match those of the existing Hotel.
The site development plan provides a pedestrian route between Hardinge Road and Waghorne Street to open up access to the centre of the site. The location of this pedestrian route takes advantage of a kink in Hardinge Road and the hotel is strategically located there, so it can benefit from two open frontages for outdoor seating and outlook, one out to the road and one to the site pedestrian link.
