Warren Barclay is taking over as publican of the 162-year-old Cardrona Hotel, but remains tight-lipped on the identity of the owners and how much it sold for.
He did reveal that the New Zealand investors have an interest in the hospitality and wine industry across the country and in Central Otago.
"They’re Kiwis, they’re pretty high net worth individuals and they just want to keep it low key," he said.
"... they’ve got loads of investments from other hospitality venues in the North Island, wine interests, just lots of interests. This is just one of them."
He added that the hotel’s history and the tourism it attracted made it a "high yielding" business venture for the buyers.
Outgoing owner Cade Thornton had received interest from all over the world, including the United States, Australia and Singapore, but Mr Barclay said keeping it in the hands of New Zealanders was the way to go.
"I just think that New Zealanders would probably have an appreciation of the Cardrona Hotel, an appreciation of its heritage and the history of the region ... they would appreciate it, I think, more so than any other nationality."
Mr Barclay himself had been living in Wānaka for four years and was the owner of Experience Group, which managed hospitality for major sporting fixtures and events.
He would soon be stepping away from the day-to-day management of the company.
His main focus now would be running the Cardrona Hotel, a job he originally turned down but reconsidered after taking into account the deep history of the unique location.
"I remember the guys [investors] calling me and I went, ‘I don’t want to run a pub, thanks’ ... once I thought about it, actually, it’s more than just the pub, it’s an iconic institution."
The job also offered him a little bit of everything, from running the restaurant to handling guests and the accommodation.
Changes were so far likely to be minimal under Mr Barclay’s management as he looked to keep existing staff and services in hopes of preserving the hotel’s charm.
He has considered the possibility of having events but is unsure what that would look like yet, as the hotel was already busy enough during peak summer and winter seasons.
"I will look at everything, obviously. That doesn’t mean I’ll make change ... It’s just observing, watching, talking to staff."
The hotel’s buyers will take over ownership on November 3, but Mr Barclay said he would be meeting staff and Mr Thornton over the coming weeks to ensure a seamless handover.
Mr Thornton did not respond to inquiries for comment, but said in a statement said he was honoured to have been part of the hotel’s legacy.
"We’re delighted to see it passed on to passionate new custodians who share a love for the region and its heritage."
