CHILLY HOTELS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22853, 7 October 1937, Page 10

CHILLY HOTELS

AMERICAN CRITIC ROTORUA'S DULL EVENINGS VISITOR TAX PLAN APPROVED fBY TET/EGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] ROTORUA, Wednesday Criticism of the lack of warmth in Xew Zealand hotels- and particularly in Rotorua was expressed by the noted American authoress and lecturer Mrs. Mildred Seydell, who, accompanied bv her husband, a prominent manufacturer, is at present visiting the district. Mrs. Seydell said both she and her husband had been particularly impressed with the scenic beauty of the Dominion, and she thought that with such countries as Japan, China and Spain now closed to the tourist owing to the conflicts taking place there. >"ew Zealand had a wonderful opportunity to -attract the American, who was essentially a great traveller and was never really content unless he was travelling. ,

Lack of Entertainment

One thing which was noticeable in all Americans who came to the Don> inion was the lack of adequate heating in the hotels, said Mrs. Seydell. Dun ing the day the temperatures were quite mild, but at night the interior of the hotels became very cold anrl this made it necessary for some warm wrapi to be worn.

Mrs. Seydell also expressed disappointment at the lack of evening entertainment in Rotorua,. and said that everv effort should be made to orer-

come this deficiency. People visited holiday resorts for a good time, and unless they were kept occupied they were not likely to prove good advertisements. Scheme in America When the suggestion for the impost tion of a visitors' tax was brought tfl her notice, Mrs. Seydell said she thought such a proposal, properly administered. would be very valuable. She felt satisfied that such a tax would not keep people away from Rotorua or any other tourist resort, and pointed out that a similar scheme was in operation at the national parks in America, where for an amount of three dollars, or about 12s 6d in English currency, a tourist received a pfermit to visit any national park, where*-, free entertainment was also provided out of the revenue received from the permit fees.