Hilton to share with community

Queenstown residents and businesses will have access to a deluxe dairy, top-end restaurants and conference facilities in a village-style hub, their new "next door neighbour" - Hilton Worldwide says.

Hilton Worldwide vice-president operations Australasia Ashley Spencer, of Sydney, flew into Wakatipu this week to join resort-based Marlene Poynder, general manager of both Hilton Queenstown and "Kawarau Hotel, managed by Hilton" for an introductory function to explain what the Hilton brand meant globally and the facilities on offer in "Kawarau Village."

Mrs Poynder said the village within the $1 billion Kawarau Falls Station would be comprised of the five-star, 178-room Hilton Queenstown. Its signature restaurant, the Wakatipu Grill, would be situated on the waterfront at the bottom of the flight of steps which divide the two hotels.

The restaurant would be open to all and accessible through the village and by water, with the aid of a pontoon jetty, which will arrive in February.

Mrs Poynder said a luxury spa with nine treatment rooms would operate within Hilton Queenstown for guests, community members and tourists. Downstairs from the spa would be a heated 25m indoor lap pool, and gym, she said.

"We also have some great meeting and function space within the Hilton Queenstown. The largest number of people we can take for a sit-down dinner in any one area is 180 and we do have two facilities within the hotel that can take about the same number of guests.

"We have a lovely outdoor terraced area in the middle of the five-star hotel, which is quite spectacular and will be great for cocktail parties, events and weddings. It will be a part of what we are able to offer the meetings and events market."

The village complex will also include the four-star 98 single-bedroom apartment-style Kawarau Hotel. The compact studio suites with kitchenettes were "hotel rooms with a difference", Mrs Poynder said.

"It's a very funky hotel. Ashley saw it for the first time [on Wednesday]. It's really edgy, fun, very bright colours. It's quite different from the Hilton Queenstown and I think people will enjoy the experience."

Kawarau Hotel will include its own conference room and a seated and takeaway noodle restaurant for everyone.

The north-facing village will also feature a standalone "gastropub", with wood fired pizza among the menu items, plus a gourmet grocer, deli and coffee shop for all to use.

Mr Spencer inspected the construction site yesterday during his overnight trip from Australia and said the Kawarau Falls development had come a long way. Hilton had invested hugely in manpower and resources, he said.