Revived hotel and cafe busy

Slow and steady may have been the plan but fast and furious has taken over as the once-shuttered Hyde Hotel is revived and restored as The Hydeaway.

Craig and Liz Alderson moved from tropical Malaysia to Hyde, in the furthest reaches of Dunedin’s city limits, a few months ago when they bought the then empty hotel.

The couple discovered the hotel while cycling the Otago Central Rail Trail after setting their children up at the University of Otago.

Ready for a change after Mr Alderson’s corporate banking career in Dubai and Malaysia, over the past decade they took the leap into the hospitality industry.

The hotel had been closed for about seven years when they took over, but the building and fittings were in remarkable condition, Mr Alderson said.

The couple’s multi-year project was well under way with the cafe operating and four bedrooms available.

Bookings were coming from their website and a lot from cycle companies, he said.

"To be honest, I haven’t really done much marketing because the cycle companies have been amped to do that, and they’re really happy because basically now there’s more options, and there’s more people now continuing to do the trail, and there’s definitely been a slight surge compared to last year based on feedback from others."

All four rooms have their own bathroom, two en suite, and antique furniture which came with the hotel.

Guests have the use of the lounge with its enormous fireplace for relaxing and meals.

"We try to bring people together," Mr Alderson said.

Dinner was often roast lamb, which was served family-style with everyone sitting around the dining table and helping themselves, he said.

An electric bike-charging station had been added and a massage therapist was on site for the ultimate relaxation experience for weary cyclists.

The cafe, which was Mrs Alderson’s domain, had been very busy.

They were exploring bringing in a chef to do restaurant meals, Mr Alderson said.

One option they were considering was a profit-sharing model, which they were doing with the massage therapist.

Aware there was more to their region than tourists, they offered discounts on massages to local residents, Mr Alderson said.

Local builder Bruce Todd had done a lot of work, and the landscaping was in the capable hands of neighbour Cynthia Flanagan.

Funding to restore the building had been sourced with the help of the Otago Central Rail Trail charitable trust and the Dunedin Heritage Fund.

While there were many plans bubbling away there were also lessons to be learned and things to be done quicker.

However, the feedback they had was that customers were enjoying The Hydeaway experience and that was encouraging, Mr Alderson said.