The $52 million build opened its doors yesterday to the Brew’d cafe, and the bar, Two Doors Down, as well as the first four floors of accommodation.
Invercargill Licensing Trust marketing and innovation executive Angee Shand said board members and executives were excited after they had waited for years.
"I can’t tell you how many thousands of documents go into a build like this but we finally feel like, ‘this is it’.
"We all celebrated for a moment when we came in seeing the results."
The cafe, bar and lobby area were furnished and decorated with furniture and colours with shades of greens and browns.
"This is a representation of Southland Murihiku, this is all about telling the stories of Southland and the earthy tones represent the mana whenua [land]," Ms Shand said.
The remaining upper floors and the top floor bar 360, restaurant Meld, and the second bar Niche will open in the next weeks, she said.
"We will reveal more to the community as we go along, but we know it has been a long journey for locals too, so we can promise it will be in the coming weeks not months."
The difference between the 4.5-star hotel and other traditional hotels was often that the signature restaurant was located near the reception.
But the Langland’s restaurant, cafe and bar opened up to Don St which made it accessible to the community, she said.
"We want to show our visitors that to an extent it is about them, but we also want it to be about our community."
Eighty staff members were needed to operate the services and hospitality sector of the hotel, she said.
Most vacancies were filled but they were still on the look out for qualified chefs, she said.
"We are needing more people but the staff we do have are really working at a five-star rating."
