4 | Heritage hotel makeover The Kurow Hotel is a popular spot for locals and visitors to come and enjoy a drink or meal. Kurow Hotel T T Emma Bailey “People love what we have done. Everything is pristine and clean.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT With its distinctive half blue and half yellow façade the Kurow Hotel is a local institution, and now the heritage building, dating back to 1880, has had a major refurbishment due to earthquake strengthening. Based in the centre of the Waitaki District town the Kurow Hotel’s owners, Trish and Ross Paton, have had an extremely busy time giving the place a makeover. The accommodation upstairs has had a huge overhaul with 19 new smoke doors put in along with redecorating the bedrooms, the ensuites and shared bathrooms. The 16 upstairs rooms include single, twin and double rooms. There are four rooms with ensuite bathrooms. During the process they removed the ceilings to find the original tongue and groove ceilings still in perfect condition. These have been re-stained to bring them back to their former glory with Ross planing and preparing the wood himself. They have also exposed some of the original block work which is Oamaru stone up the staircase making it a stunning feature. The renovation has attracted excellent feedback, Trish says. “People love what we have done. Everything is pristine and clean.” It is a popular place to stay especially because it is also affordable. “We have kept our prices reasonable.” The couple have been at the hotel for 16 years and the renovation has been three years in the making with planning and consents taking time. Earthquake strengthening has been a huge part of the renovation. The front road side facing part of the Hotel has been strengthened, which includes the bottle store, bar and dining room. Steel plates have been used throughout to strengthen the building, tying together the floor and the roof space. It’s not finished yet; the ambitious second stage will see a new toilet block put in the ground floor and the renovation of the kitchen. The family-friendly hotel still has the same country atmosphere renowned for serving delicious food at affordable prices. Downstairs there is a restaurant, bar and separate function room, which opens to a secluded walled sunny garden, perfect to relax in after a hard day on the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle trail. Customers can wine and dine on a balmy summer evening and enjoy sampling a selection of the Waitaki Valley’s locally grown wines. The hotel is a popular spot for locals to come and enjoy a drink or meal. It is colloquially known as the top pub. The accommodation is perfect for cyclists travelling through on the cycle trail. It also attracts a lot of workers visiting the area who hear about the place through word of mouth. There is plenty to do in the area which borders the popular Waitaki lakes and the vanished world trail in nearby Duntroon which features fossils, rocks and landforms from pre-historic times. Situated 40 minutes north-west from Oamaru, Kurow is also a popular stopping point on the route through SH83 to Omarama, being the gateway to the Mackenzie Basin and Aoraki/Mt Cook. Rural Electrical Services Dairy Electrical Services New Home Electrical Maintenance, Installation & Servicing Industrial and Commercial 24/7 Emergency Call Outs Solar Power Heating, Air Conditioning & Ventilation CONTACT US TODAY | P 03 434 7273 | EMAIL OAMARU@LEVELELECTRICAL.NZ PROUD TO SUPPORT KUROW HOTEL
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