LOSS OF HOTEL BEDS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27368, 5 June 1954, Page 2

LOSS OF HOTEL BEDS

AUCKLAND, ROTORUA, WELLINGTON

SURVEY BY COUNCIL OF LICENSED TRADE (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 3. The number of beds available in New Zealand hotels is falling steadily, according to Mr P. Coyle, director of the National Council of the Licensed Trade. Mr Coyle said today that there had been a loss in Auckland, Wellington, and Rotorua of more than 2300 hotel beds. This represented a loss of more than 840,000 guest beds a year in those three centres alone. “The quality and quantity of accommodation available both in private and licensed hotels throughout the country must decline unless the uneconomic tariffs are decontrolled,” said Mr Coyle. He was replying to a claim that the lifting of controls would not give Wellington extra accommodation, and suggested trying to induce the Government to vacate office accommodation. The Government could be persuaded to vacate buildings to make more accommodation available, Mr Coyle said. It might also be persuaded to make available the finance to provide such accommodation at a loss on today’s tariffs. This might be difficult, as the Government already operated hotels •at a book loss of more than £50,000 a year.

A survey made by his organisation showed the decline in accommodation that was taking place, said Mr Coyle. In Auckland 455 guest beds in licensed and private hotels had been lost. The annual loss of beds from these hotels was 166,000. In addition, there were numerous smaller private hotels which had taken casual guests, but now were concentrating on permanent boarders, with an estimated further annual loss of 50,000 beds. This gave a total anannual loss in Auckland of 216,000 beds. In Rotorua, the survey showed a loss of 418 beds a night, or 152,500 a year, said Mr Coyle. The Wellington loss was 1300 beds a'night, or 474,500 a year.

These three centres were the main ones for tourist traffic, and substantial extra accommodation was needed, said Mr Coyle.