HOTEL IMPROVEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 5090, 13 June 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

HOTEL IMPROVEMENTS.

Tkx Whit* Ham Horan The opinion has been frequently in Christchurch, and certainly with sufficient cause, that Bm d public-houses, there was oompara kMy HtUe hotel aotommodatiooof as'dtable £SoMato,gno(i changes for the bettor have been made, and perhaps no more .stoking axamnle of suob a change ooald be found than IhXflfoided *y the White Hart Hotel—an hottl. bv-the-way, which at the recent meeting of the Licensing Court, waa specially mentoned by lnipeotor Buckley ae being admuably t-yriH- The improvements which Mr iTo. Sheppard has carried out have been in progress for a long lime, and even now they ve not absolutely completed. Of these ohangee oomparatively littlo can be known by (he general public, and a tew details may thus prove interesting. _ , . , The- moon entrance to the hotel is from High Street, keoeae to the interior being Mind by a lofty passage 6ft 6in in width, sSoh to mmmmtedwith pot plants arranged npbabraekele.On eitheraideotthtopa»ageare the pUWioindprivate baraand the pnblie wine andamrit Stow, which to atoe being furnished, w ith abarr “In the latter apartment may be enttieE S nolelty in the ahape of some newly imnoitod wtoe bins, which greatly economise alfow thbocnteats to be seen at any time, fiwi prove an effectual barrier to pilfering. The of the bans are not yet finished, but -tkMa-ie-auffiotont to show, that the arrangements will be good,and the furniture and otouitoof the bmt poaaible description. At the end of the TT ' ,in entrance is auether paaaagfc at right which some of the praeipal apartments are reached. The private eomin*K)al-*wnujfor one, having an extent of 26ft by S2ft, with a height of 14ft. It hae been eplendidly fitted, at a east of over £4OO. the various articles of furniture being really luxurious. A notioeabl# feature is Os fine crystal gaselier, which adds greatly to the general appearance ; and in thto, ae m all the room*, numerona well? ohoeen pictures are hung, and ornamental , foltoce plant* are arranged so ae to give an air of obsesfulnees and home comfort. The adjoining apartment, the dining-room, to a atill larger one,- measuring about 34ft by 22ft It bu avery fine saloon ceiling, from the OBBtral portion of whioh a beautiful soft light in obtained, and by a sliding-door there to direct communication with the kitchen, from Which dishes earithoa be readily handed in. In this room, by the w*y,-there to a novel and ingenious devioe, which wonld not be detected by any ordinary observer. Between two df * the fflastarlrthero to a huge sliding panel, by maeM of whioh the dining and the private ■ommflßßal room can at any time be thrown into toe; and, on tide occasion of any pnblio dinner, provision ; will thus be ‘ made for upwards of 200 giubte. Both the rooms an eimilarly fitted, and a dado of polished wood to earned round, the upper portion being diridwd into panel*.- It may here.be said that thie arrangement.is extended throughout the - whole building, bedrooms and passages being So that everywhere there to an ■Meat of cleanliness and freshness that will soon eataUiah-for the place a high reputation. The paesage* and staircases are all broad, lofty, and: wril ughted, either by day or might, and everywhere there arc brackets with plants, while under fool, floorcloth and carpeting extend* everywhere. On the. landings," too, there to ample water supply for gleaning and other purposes, and hat stands and hall tables appear to be placed wherever there to room for them. The ground-floor arrangements also include bar parlours, offices, private rooms, scullery, a covered yard, —a semiitV" hall, "and * borntriodldne lStchen,

'by no Tri * aTia an unimportant feature in the This pl»oe is well arranged, and fitted, baring a good water supply,and ■teani apparatus, and a splendid cooking range wbiob was put in at a cost o£ nearly £l2O. On the' upper floor there are some very fine sitting rooms, which are famished, and indeed the furniture throughout, is of a superior description. The bedsteads, which have been specially imported, are of iron, and.in the scroll heads is promi- / neatly displayed the well-known figure of the White Hart. Great attention, too, has been ‘.paid'to the ventilaUra, every bedroom being jlttsd with a perforated panel over the dodf 1 and for sanitary purposes, there ire two capital bath-rooms conveniently fitted for hot, cold, and shower baths. ‘ The floors of these rooms are to be of lead, and near them some patent earth-closets are being fitted up. It is certain that the 40 people who may make the White Hart Hotel their temporary home will have no cause for complaint on file score of comfort or convenience. Their well-being has been farther stndifri by the provision of a splendid room which is intendttTfor their me as a library and readingroom, and for writing. It has a fireplace at either and, and four large windows, and is fdriUifisd with the cosiest of cosy chairs of various shapes, with couches, rich carpeting, pictures, plenty of'amusing hooks, a good piano, and every appliance for business and • private correspondence, the furniture having cost upwards of £3OO. From_ the private apartments, is well as by a side entrance, access is giuned to ths new billiard-room, a ’ really well constructed place. It is admirably well furnished in every respect. . At present it contains two of Thurston’s tables, ■ and a third—one of Aloook’s—is on the way here. At the rear of the hotel, so arranged as to form a separate establishment, are the sample rooms for commercial travellers. There are two on the ground-floor, and three above them ; and again, at the rear there is still a vacant piece of land, on which Mr Sheppard will be enabled to erebt additional rooms shonld the necessity arise. (Hie architect for the alterations'and additions was Mr Msddison, and the bontraotorMr Bankin.