TE ANAU HOTEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22709, 23 October 1935, Page 4

TE ANAU HOTEL

EXTENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE CHRISTMAS. One of the most fruitful sources of complaint for visitors to the Eglinton ! Valley and the Milford Sound since the j development of steady tourist traffic through that region three oi four years ; n„o has been the inadequacy of the hotel accommodation at Lake Te Anau. Not j only were there insufficient rooms at the hotel to accommodate a .raction of tin travelling public, but the general character of the accommodation \y\s less than I worthy of so important a tourist hostel. After about a dozen ordinary guest ' rooms had been booked up all other coiners had to be content with hutments in an outside annexe, well removed from the most necessary conveniences and in themselves nothing better than makeshifts. Fortunately visitors to Te Anau and the new highway this season will find I all this changed. The very fine administrntion block which was the only \ modern part of the hotel ast year had been greatly extended to provide the most up-to-date accommodation for 40 guests. The work was commenced some months ago, following on visits to Te Anau by the Minister in Charge of Tourist Resorts (Mr Adam Hamilton) and ' the chairman of the Railways Board (Mr H. 11. Sterling). It was hardly necessary to impress upon the visitors the need for extensive improvements before the opening of another tourist season, and shortly after their visit a sum of £SOOO was made available for the building of a modern residential section of the hotel. \ The contractors are well forward with

the work, which in terms of the contract must bo completed by the beginning of November, thus leaving ample time for the complete refurnishing of the hotel by the lessee iMr E. C. Govan), who is spending £IOOO for this purpose. The rooms in the new wing aVe bright, airy and spacious and every modern convenience is being provided both for guests and for the staff behind the scenes. The building of the extra wing has facilitated material improvements to the exist-

ing administration block also, and when the new hotel opens its doors for guests early in December it will provide as good accommodation as the Tourist Department can offer at any of its resorts. The necessity for increased accommodation at i To Anau is evidenced by the extraordin- | arily heavy bookings for the coming j Christmas season, from which it J s ap- : parent that even the exterded' quarter* will not be able to cope with holiday traffic easily. ...