ACCOMMODATION AT QUEENSTOWN

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29192, 30 April 1960, Page 4

ACCOMMODATION AT QUEENSTOWN

Council Wants Action "The Press” Special Service QUEENSTOWN. April 29. Accomodation at Queenstown has been at such a premium this year that the Queenstown Borough Council thinks the New Zealand Tourist Hotel Corporation should make a move to speed up plans for the rebuilding of Eichart’S Hotel. The Mayor, Mr R. C. Robins, said that accomodation in the town had been .scarcer this tourist season than ever in the past. “Now that the corporation has definitely decided on the rebuilding of the Franz Josef Hotel, I consider the time is opportune for it to make some move with Eichart’s. he said. Mr Robins said the Minister in Charge of Tourist and Health Resorts, (Mr Mathison), had told him earlier this year in Christchurch that there were no plans to go ahead with the rebuilding of the hotel in the immediate future. It was announced in June, 1957, that the Government had approved a three-year programme for the corporation. This included the extension of Eichart’s Hotel by the- addition of 64 modern rooms, plus a new lounge, kitchens and dining room. In fact, almost a completely new hotel was to be built. The White Star Hotel, much of which was destroyed by fire on June 19 of last year, will be able to accomodate its usual capacity number of 53 guests in about two months. Uhder repair since just before Christmas, the hotel began taking guests again at Easter, and 23 people can now stay there. The proprietor, Mr S. W. H. Midgley, said that it should be operating normally in two months.