It was bought by hospitality entrepreneur Peter Whittaker, who owns The Rockpool and Bridies Bar & Bistro, in partnership with a West Coast restaurateur.
“We’re going to renovate the place and open it up as a tavern,” Whittaker told The Press.
“It’s in a nice spot, right in a national park.” Whittaker said he did not have a timeline for the renovation."
The 2024 rating valuation for the chalet was $1.26m.
Bayleys listing agent Kate Mullins, who marketed the property with colleague Ben Deans, told OneRoof the price reflected the lodge’s condition and the seller’s motivation.
“They wanted it gone and they wanted to meet the market (and) move on,” she said.
Mullins’ listing urged buyers to “bring your builder, your architect and your imagination”, warning the property was “not for the faint of heart”.
“It needs some TLC, that’s for sure,” the agent told OneRoof.
The Chalet was built by Swiss ski instructor Hans Bohny and his wife Patricia in the 1960s.
for the property in 2009, and then leased it to an accommodation provider who ran it as The Chalet before closing it 10 years ago.
The lodge had a dining room, a commercial kitchen, a bar, and 13 guest rooms, but had been empty for years and required significant work, Mullins told OneRoof.
She said it had attracted inquiries from around New Zealand before selling late last month.
The European-inspired property on SH73 has a long history in the village.
It was built by Swiss ski instructor, climber and stonemason Hans Bohny and his wife, Patricia, in the 1960s.
The couple opened it as a coffee shop before expanding into an 800sq m building with a pub and accommodation.
They ran it for 30 years before selling it in the 1990s.
