Hotel chain Accor to manage Wairakei Resort Taupō, plans renovations and rebrand
'We are working with the owner on investment and branding strategies to deliver the strongest returns and best long-term prospects.
'The hotels will then undergo extensive renovations to align with their new brand promises.'
Accor owns and operates 19 hotel brands in the Pacific region and more than 45 worldwide.
Each property's brand identity will be confirmed in the next two years when their repositioning strategies are completed.
'Selecting the right brand and developing an investment strategy for each hotel requires an intensive effort and we continue to closely evaluate each market and opportunity,' Yazbeck said.
'We will communicate more once we have finalised the strategy for each hotel, but suffice to say, our commitment is to create multi-faceted experiences that inspire travellers and locals, while unleashing new and untapped opportunities that will shape these hotels for a strong future.'
Bayview is a hospitality company run by the Loh family, who founded its parent company, Oriental Holdings Berhad, in 1963.
Oriental Holdings Berhad has owned Wairakei Resort since 1991, under a separate subsidiary called Kah New Zealand, and also owns the now-shuttered Chateau Tongariro.
Wairakei Resort, set 10 minutes' drive north of Taupō, is a 187-room hotel within the Wairakei natural thermal valley. It's home to a day spa, nine-hole golf course, geothermal pools, dining venues and conference spaces.
The Chateau Tongariro is not included in the Accor deal. Its fate remains unknown, although Whakapapa Holdings expressed interest in breathing new life into the heritage building in January.
Handing over management of Wairakei Resort and the Australian properties to Accor will lead to Bayview focusing solely on its eight remaining hotels in Malaysia and Singapore.
Accor's expanding portfolio has made it the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand and the sixth-largest hospitality company in the world.
Confidence in the New Zealand market, where it has 46 hotels, is underscored by two new developments that are set to open in Auckland this year.
TRIBE on Fort St is scheduled to open in September, while JO&JOE – a hotel brand established in 2016 to target younger travellers – is also making headway in the CBD as the first of its kind in the Pacific.
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