6 | Sarin Investments DEVELOPMENT Boutique hotel for Chch Arts Centre Richard Loader Each room in the boutique hotels will be luxuriously appointed. Nestled within Christchurch’s much loved and iconic Art Centre, The Observatory Hotel will open for business early May, offering guests the lap of luxury and a delightful insight into the jewel of Christchurch’s neo-gothic architecture. Operated by experienced hoteliers, Sarin Investments, the 33-room art themed hotel will be housed in the former physics and biology building and the Observatory Tower Building in the Art Centre’s south quad. The $29 million Observatory Hotel takes its name from antiquity when James Townshend donated the Equatorial Telescope to Canterbury College, which was placed in the Observatory Tower Building in 1891. Damaged in the Christchurch earthquake, the building has been faithfully restored to the way it was back in 1891, with the Equatorial Telescope taking pride of place in the top of the Observatory Hotel dome, enabling the public to visit and observe the night sky through the lens of history. Sarin Investments Chairman Raman Sarin says the 5-Star hotel will have a beautiful home-like feel, akin to a high-end lodge. “The Hotel will bring something very special to Christchurch. It will be one of the world’s leading boutique hotels, with each room luxuriously appointed,” says Raman. “Spread over three levels, the 33 guest rooms are uniquely designed, each carefully curated with handpicked locally crafted furniture and artworks. “Phillip Aldridge, the Art Centre’s Director, has personally taken a lot of interest to make sure that the hotel’s design and interiors reflect the art centre and what its values are.” While Warren & Mahoney were appointed architects for the restoration project, Christchurch based designer Jessica Close put her deft touch to the hotel’s interior spaces. “The rooms are bold, chic, elegant and very contemporary,” says Raman. “Each of the rooms has a distinctive look and feel to them and each room has a name based on its unique colour and decor. “For example there is the Cadmium Room, Viridian Room and the Verona room. The beds are all high-end luxury Accor beds with luxurious topper pillows for additional comfort, with a menu of high-end pillows.” Complementing the luxuriousness the furnishings, each room is appointed with Georgian style sanitary-ware imported from England, which Raman says was very expensive but very exclusive. Embracing the special English nature of the hotel, the lobby and reception area has the look and feel of a drawing room and has been called that. Along side the Drawing Room a cosy Library Bar provides a convivial place for guests to enjoy a drink. A small meeting room on the top level is called the Conservatory Room because of a partial glass roof. “The Drawing Room, Library Bar and Conservatory meeting spaces are full of original artworks from well-known New Zealand artists. There will be a breakfast room with a nice display of bakery items. In the evening, we will be offering wine and canapes as an additional feature to guests who book them. It is purely for the in-house guests to experience a nice lodge style stay.” Beautiful in every detail, The Observatory Hotel is aimed at the client looking for that special occasion, be it an anniversary, a proposal, a wedding or a just a very special evening in the city. It offers a boutique experience, where guests can experience a taste of luxury within a very unique place in Christchurch, and appreciate all the neo-gothic charm replete in Christchurch before it was lost to the earthquakes. “Sarin Investments has worked closely with Jessica Close, Phillip Aldridge and Warren & Mahoney in creating this product which will be a luxury product and perfect for the guests that it will attract,” says Raman. Sarin Investments extensive experience in the hospitality industry includes working with the three main hotel brands — Hilton Hotels, Accor Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group — and operates hotels in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Invercargill and Queenstown. HVAC, Refrigeration & Service 03 348 0873 christchurch@aquaheat.co.nz www.aquaheat.co.nz T: 03 366 1777 • E: engineering@pfc.co.nz • W: www.pfc.co.nz Structural • Mechanical • Electrical Fire • Civil • Hydraulic • Acoustic Powell Fenwick is proud to have provided engineering services for The Observatory Hotel
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