52 | Hostel to high-end hotel The Taupo hotel is ideally positioned for visitors wanting to experience the town’s charm. Precinct Developments REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT A section of Taupo’s largest building, situated between Tongariro and Tuwharetoa streets, is undergoing a remarkable transformation that promises to bring new opportunities for the town’s accommodation sector. The upper floor of the historic structure, which was built in 1957 and has been owned by Precinct Developments for the last six years, is being developed into a high-end space called Lake Haven Suites. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the upper floor of the building operated as a backpackers’ hostel; however, during the pandemic, its tenants repurposed it as emergency housing. Recognising the building’s potential, the development team decided to start refurbishment of the former hostel from scratch, with Lake Haven Suites set to become an upmarket, 30room hotel. The development team gutted the entire hostel interior, upgraded it to meet fire and safety codes, and installed modern enhancements, including double-glazing and brandnew carpeting. Designed for modern travellers, each room offers a spacious 25sqm space, complete with tea and coffee facilities and Netflix access. A key feature of the new hotel is its fully automated check-in system. “There will be no front desk,” Precinct Developments’ Murray Jones says. “Instead, you will book and pay online and will be given a code to enter the building via a kiosk.” T T Anne Boswell This streamlined approach enhances convenience for guests, allowing them to check in and out effortlessly. Strategically located less than 100 metres from Taupo’s picturesque lakefront, the hotel is ideally positioned for visitors wanting to experience the town’s charm, with a variety of restaurants, shops, and recreational spots close by. “Our aim is to provide really nice, centrally located rooms only a short walk from the park, lake, shops, and restaurants,” Murray says. Downstairs, the building’s long-standing role as a hospitality hub remains, with existing tenants such as Finn’s Bistro and Beer Garden, Cobb & Co, and Luna’s Gelateria ensuring a vibrant dining and nightlife experience for locals and tourists alike. The redevelopment is expected to be completed by June, bringing high-quality accommodation to the heart of Taupo. But the improvements don’t stop there: the second phase of the project will focus on redeveloping the car park behind the building, providing a practical solution to Taupo’s growing demand for convenient parking options. “The car park development will include a 62-car automatic car parking building,” Murray says. “There is a need for parking locally, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, and during holidays. “It will be good for both hotel customers and visitors to the region, who are looking for secure and undercover parking.” With Precinct Developments’ reputation for transforming under-utilised sites into thriving urban spaces – seen in projects such as Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter and Commercial Bay – Lake Haven Suites promises to bring fresh energy to Taupo’s accommodation scene. TE KUITI 07 878 5169 TAUPO 07 378 8545 OTOROHANGA 07 873 6385 LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY PROUDLY SUPPORTING PRECINCT DEVELOPMENTS actionelectrical.co.nz The gibfixing experts Fresh, clean and smooth walls are the perfect background on which to make your interior design mark – and Auckland’s Extreme Wallboard Installer Ltd is an expert in making that happen. Established eight years ago by Pari Siackhasone and Thanakon ‘Bo’ Prachanan, Extreme Wallboard Installer to transform your inside space into an amazing area. Based in Waitakere, the team is able to travel throughout Auckland, and beyond if required. They undertake both commercial and residential work – whether it’s a new build or a dream renovation – all the while focusing on completing each job with quality workmanship, and in a timely manner. “We concentrate on the quality of the neatly: we don’t leave anything behind for the next contractor to have to deal with. They are just able to get on with the rest of the job.” Extreme Wallboard Installer Ltd only uses high quality GIB® plasterboard, a product trusted by New Zealanders for 90 years. Developed for local conditions, GIB® plasterboard systems not only meet but exceed the requirements of New Zealand's stringent building codes and are BRANZ appraised. But Extreme Wallboard Installer Ltd employing gib stoppers and painters so its clients don’t have to – just another and legwork as possible. Extreme Wallboard Installer Ltd is proud to be part of the Lake Haven Suites development in Taupo. The 30-room upmarket hotel is located in Taupo’s largest building, situated between Tongariro and Tuwharetoa Streets. Formerly a backpackers’ lodge, developers have ‘started the development from scratch’, gutting the building, bringing it up to code and square metre space, complete with tea Located less than 100m from the lakefront, Lake Haven Suites will be situated just a stone’s throw away from a variety of restaurants, shops and recreational areas. To help make this vision come true, Extreme Wallboard Installers will take one team around two weeks to complete The hotel is due to open in June 2025. With two established teams on the ground, Extreme Wallboard Installer Ltd has growth on the horizon – but not at the expense of its quality workmanship. “We will still concentrate on the quality of each and every job,” Pari says. “Bo is always on site for every job, ensuring everything is completed to a high-quality standard and in a timely manner.” Your Local Plasterboard Installers Proudly Supporting Precinct Developments CONTACT US 021 124 3449 extreme_wallboard@hotmail.com
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