Media Release
4.11.2019
Waterfront hospitality properties and businesses for sale poised to create waves of interest
Historic Marlin Hotel
A trio of waterfront hospitality buildings and businesses at three Upper North Island seaside holiday towns have been
placed on the market for sale – with summer firmly on the horizon as a lure for new owners.
The three properties range from a fishing club’s soon to be former headquarters and a country pub which has been serving
pints and hosting big game fishing boat crews bringing in their catches for more than a century, through to management
of a substantial four-star lodge.
All three entities are being individually marketed for sale by Bayleys Real Estate – with the potential for new owners
at any of the locations to be up and running in time to capitalise on the summer seasonal lift in visitor numbers seen
at New Zealand’s seaside towns.
In the Far North, the historic Marlin Hotel overlooking Whangaroa Harbour encompasses the accommodation and food and
beverage activities associated with a long-standing Kiwi country hotel, as well as a budget backpacker operation.
The land, buildings and Marlin Hotel business at 576 – 578 Whangaroa Road are being marketed for sale at auction on
November 27 through Bayleys Kerikeri. Salespeople Irene Bremner and Anthony van Gessel said the Marlin Hotel’s fully
licensed hospitality business operated from an 855 square metre two storey premises sitting on some 1,265 square metres
of land.
“To modern customer demands, the Marlin’s food and beverage offerings have been segregated into a breakfast and
lunch-focused café setting, and the more traditional ‘pub grub’ dining options served in the evening and for events or
functions,” Ms Bremner said.
“Both activities are sustained by the same commercial-grade kitchen, although they are currently seasonally ‘dormant’ as
the owners have chosen to concentrate on building up the accommodation side of the business.
“The café now has both an indoor and al-fresco seating arrangement – with a cabana overlooking the newly created deck
area. Meanwhile, the licensed restaurant adjacent to the bar currently hosts up to 38 patrons.”
The main Marlin Hotel building features seven guest bedrooms on its upper floor – configured into a range of single and
king-size bed sleeping arrangements, and a two-bedroom family suite. A separate bungalow-style building within the
property houses three backpacker-style rooms supported by shared bathroom facilities.
Mr van Gessel said the Marlin Hotel had undergone a comprehensive renovation and decor modernisation programme over the
past 12 months – creating a ‘family-friendly’ dining establishment to replace what was the former pub dining space.
“Kiwi country pubs have undergone a renaissance over the past decade – with the likes of the Duke of Marlborough in the
Bay of Islands, the Theatre Royal in Kumara on the West Coast of the South Island, and the legendary Whangamomona Hotel
in the Central North Island spearheading the trend and all becoming tourist destinations in their own rights. With the
right marketing, Whangaroa could be among that echelon,” Mr van Gessel said.
“From the outside, The Marlin Hotel looks as gracious and imposing as it did at the turn of the last century when it was
first built. The interior now however reflects an inviting and modern atmosphere ready for ‘turn-key’ operation in time
for summer.”
Whangaroa is the harbourside departure and arrival point for big game charter fishing boats heading out to the Cavalli
Islands and Great Exhibition Bay to the north just below Cape Reinga. It is also a base for free independent tourists
visiting the beach attractions of the Karikari Peninsula to the north and Matauri Bay and Tauranga Bay to the south.
Meanwhile, on the Coromandel Peninsula, the management rights to one of the biggest commercial accommodation providers
of its type in the area - Admirals Lodge at 71 Buffalo Beach Road - are being jointly marketed for sale by tender
through Bayleys Hamilton and Bayleys Whitianga, with the tender process closing on December 5.
Salespeople Josh Smith and Belinda Sammons said the Admiralty Lodge’s 18 rooms were configured in a combination of
studio and one-bedroom units - each with their own self-contained cooking amenities and overlooking an inground swimming
pool. The lodge’s predominantly rectangular structure directly faces toward Buffalo Beach across the road.
Mr Smith said nightly rack rates at Admiralty Lodge ranged upwards of $250 – reflecting the venue’s four-star Qualmark
rating and amenity standards. The management rights business for sale includes a unit-titled two-bedroom owner/manager’s
residences and adjacent staff kitchen and office space.
“The property trades without food and beverage operations on site – allowing the managers to concentrate purely on the
marketing and provision of accommodation services,” Mr Smith said. “The restaurants and cafes of Whitianga are literally
just two kilometre away.
“Through the introduction of numerous musical, arts and cultural concerts and festivals, Whitianga has expanded its
visitor appeal from being purely a summer seaside town to being year-round weekend-break destination drawing clientele
from the ‘Golden Triangle’ population bases of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga which are all within easy driving
distance.
“Occupancy rates at Admiralty Lodge have benefited from this increased tourism traffic to Whitianga as a consequence –
and being at the upper echelon of accommodation providers in town, have outperformed the general motel sector.”
Mr Smith said the Admiralty Lodge’s management rights business was being sold with a sloid inventory of future bookings
already in place well into 2020, and a detailed calendar of marketing activities planned for the lodge.
Rounding out the trio of waterfront hospitality venues for sale, the land and buildings which have housed the Tairua
Pauanui Sports Fishing Club at 11 Tui Terrace in Tairua on the Coromandel are also being jointly marketed for sale at
auction on November 28 through Bayleys Hamilton and Bayleys Whitianga.
Salespeople Josh Smith and Belinda Sammons said the combined floor area of 298 square metre fishing club building
sitting on 780 square metres of land was directly located across the road from Tairua Wharf which acts as the ferry
landing, and adjacent public boat-launching ramp.
“With a booming membership of more than 550 keen anglers, the Tairua Pauanui Sports Fishing Club has outgrown its
current premises – so the land and buildings are being sold with vacant possession,” Mr Smith said.
“There is the potential, subject of course to council consent, to exercise ‘existing use’ rights for the location to
take advantage of its apex waterfront location close to the centre of town, in addition to car parking for some 12
vehicles,“ Mr Smith said.
“The hospitality and food and beverage services infrastructure within the club are included in the sale – including the
commercial grade kitchen, bar facilities and bathrooms – providing the ‘bones’ for any new operator to reformat the
premises into a bar or restaurant entity.”
The venue’s car park flows seamlessly into the adjacent Thames-Coromandel District Council-owned car park utilised by
passengers sailing on the Tairua ferry.
“There has been a synergy between both car parks and the fishing club’s committee is hopeful this could continue. Such
an evolution would of course support the establishment of a bar and restaurant facility, which could of course draw on
ferry passengers as potential clientele,” Mr Smith said.
“Upstairs, the premises consists of an open plan layout looking directly out onto the harbour, in a Lockwood home-style
decor. At ground-level there is covered vehicle parking and storage space, which, with appropriate approvals, could
conceivably be converted into additional seating capacity for a hospitality business. There is also the opportunity to
convert the property to a waterfront bach as it is residentially-zoned with commercial use rights.”
ends