Oxford’s Hotels

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31830, 7 November 1968, Page 10

Oxford’s Hotels

Oxford has two hotels where, in the opinion of the Licensing Control Commission, one should be sufficient to sell liquor in the district and provide licensed accommodation. The two hotels are almost at the east and west extremities of the town; one is on a main route to Ashley Gorge and the other on the main road to the west and to the Waimakariri Gorge bridge. A single hotel in the town today would be more usefully sited at the centre. The commission was not impressed by the elderly—and once adequate —buildings of either hotel when it inspected them in 1965; it prescribed for each substantial improvements to be made before hotel premises licences would be granted. Unable to decide which of the hotels should become a tavern, doubting the need for two licensed houses in addition to a chartered club, and convinced that the town should retain a licensed accommodation house, the commission granted hotel premises licences to both owners. One hotel up to the standards set by the commission might prosper in the town: two may have a struggle to make ends meet. One of the lessons to be drawn from the dilemma is that the penalty for long neglect in the hotel industry is heavy expense in deferred renovation, the appearance of competitive forms of accommodation to meet public demand, and the loss of business. Another lesson—for the commission—is that setting exacting standards for licensed accommodation houses which have lost much of their business through competition, or changing circumstances helps neither the public nor the publican. Although, ideally, the two publicans at Oxford should merge their businesses, it is more likely that both will persevere separately. They may hope, by offering more attractive accommodation, to improve their trade and so justify the outlay on improvements. Apart from guests doing business or working in the district more visitors may be drawn to Oxford. The district has an agreeable climate and a variety of holiday attractions. Oxford has provided additional evidence that the efforts the commission is required to make by law to improve hotel standards are being made too late to affect the changing habits, of the public and too strictly to suit the economics of the trade. In the end, business pressures will determine the future of hotels such as those at Oxford.