Quest Apartment Hotels will open seven new properties across New Zealand’s North and South Islands between June 2021 and July 2022, extending the brand’s footprint to 42 New Zealand hotels, and bringing Quest’s global footprint to 177.
A further nine agreements for lease have been signed in Australia, with construction set to start within the next 12 months.
David Mansfield, Quest Apartment Hotels managing director, said “Our expansion in New Zealand reflects a long-running commitment to growth in areas where the corporate traveller needs to be, and in this instance, demand has only increased due to the current landscape.”
A 51-room hotel on the North Shore of Auckland, Quest Takapuna, will lead the busy program, opening its doors in June 2021. In September the opening of Quest Mt Eden in September, with Quest Queenstown in October, and Quest on Cambridge in Christchurch in November.
In 2022, Quest 256 Lambton in Wellington will open in February, Quest Hastings in June and Quest Mt Maunganui in July.
“It might seem counterintuitive to be signing deals and opening hotels on the back of such a painstaking year in 2020 and with a long road to full recovery ahead, but our locations are selected on the premise of clear market demand and fixed economic drivers, so quality accommodation is a requisite and one we’re fit to deliver on,” said Mansfield.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa has issued figures showing the trans-Tasman bubble is right now seeing more Aussies arriving in New Zealand than leaving (1) .
“These new hotels are coming to fruition at a time when Aussies and New Zealanders are taking advantage of the chance to traverse the Tasman for business and leisure.
“Early uptake of the opportunity has been very promising, but naturally there’s also been some trepidation in the market, with some travellers understandably erring on the side of caution.
“Now a few weeks in, confidence appears to be building, so while Quest is primarily focused on the domestic market, with such a strong brand presence, we are confident we will yield some good results,” said Mansfield.
Read about Quest Apartment Hotel’s revised recruitment strategy here.
