Tony Gapes, through contractor CMP Construction, is starting next week on a "funky" $85 million, 221-room six-level Radisson RED hotel opposite FreshChoice supermarket in Hylton Pl.
It will be a 20-month build starting with three months’ foundation work using new, imported technology to combat difficult ground conditions.
Mr Gapes, whose first local development was Frankton’s Five Mile shopping complex, has also bought a gaping hole in town — a 3276sq m site on the corner of York and Hallenstein Sts — for $7.75m.
It was formerly owned by Rob Neil’s Safari Group.
It had consent for 22 apartments with six townhouses on top, however put the site back on the market, claiming neighbours’ objections had taken the fun out of the project.
Mr Gapes was planning 22 three-level high-end terrace homes and another seven with "unbelievable views" on top in a complex called Alpine Quarter.
The project would be much smaller and cheaper to build than Mr Neil’s would have been, he said.
Marketing of the first homes, priced from about $1.8m to $2.2m each, was expected start in the next week or two, he said.
With nine sold, he was hoping site works could start soon with completion late this year, he said.
There was also a chance he would start on two hotels, consented for 400-plus rooms, in Gorge Rd opposite Te Pā Tāhuna, late this year.
These were originally to be managed by Swiss-Belhotel International, but were canned when Covid intervened.
Three hotel groups were vying to manage the new accommodations, Mr Gapes said.
"Queenstown has got a real shortage of hotels.
"Their occupancy is running over 90% at easily the highest room rate in the country.
"Every hotelier in the world is trying to get into Queenstown at the moment," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Gapes was already building his terrace housing project, Kawarau Villas, at Frankton’s Remarkables Park.
