T.H.C. shopping for Noahs, Regency?

Press, 12 July 1988, Page 6

T.H.C. shopping for Noahs, Regency?

The Chateau Regency and Noahs Hotel in Christchurch would be at the top of the Gov-ernment-owned Tourist Hotel Corporation’s shopping list, says the Hotel Association. The association’s accommodation council chairman, Mr Barry Rozynski, said yesterday that those two prime hotels would be the only ones the corporation would be interested in. The Vacation Inn, in Colombo Street, could be on the cards as an alternative but was too small, Mr Rozynski said.

T.H.C.’s chief executive, Mr Mike Hoy, said last week it had targeted two “substantial” city hotels as ideal for the corporation image.

It had been negotiating to secure the management contract for one or both of the hotels.

Mr Rozynski’s guess was that the Chateau would be at the top of the list because the corporation had expressed interest in it for some time.

The corporation would have ruled out hotels not in the central city.

T.H.C. knew the Japanese market was vital to successful tourist hotels and Japanese “only care to stay in downtown locations,” Mr Rozynski said.

He said if T.H.C. secured a management contract in the city it would be beneficial to the accommodation

market here. Because the corporation was not building a new hotel the market would not be further saturated with unneccessary rooms. Mr Hoy said a T.H.C. presence in Christchurch was vital to complete its coverage of metropolitan ' sites in New Zealand. Christchurch was also the gateway to South Island tourist spots and other corporation hotels.

However, Mr Rozynski said that it seemed strange the corporation had announced its intentions when its future was in doubt.

The Government is considering selling the corporation to private enterprise.