Floored!

Dunedin. May 2009. Ajr

I'm no big fan of casinos but when I was in Dunedin recently, checking out the Southern Cross Hotel, 'our paths crossed' - given that the hotel and the casino are part of the same building. I was with the hotel duty manager at the time and asked if I could take some shots of the over-the-top ceiling. He said that would be fine, so I returned with my camera and set about capturing the ornate 'gilded' ceiling. I was in the middle of things when I was approached by a very aggressive 'bouncer' who told me to stop and who would not listen to reason. Nor did he care that I 'had permission.' But he was too late. I already had the images I wanted and just to annoy him I stood right in the middle of the entry and took this shot of the rather divine tiled floor. It was one of the photos that I was most pleased with that day - in a perverse kind of way. www.scenic-circle.co.nz

Fifties Glamour

Auckland. April 2009. Ajr

The MLC Building (Mutual Life Company) on Queen Street, was the tallest building in Auckland when it opened in 1957. Now it’s home to Scenic Circle’s Airedale Hotel. I paid them a visit a month ago when I was in Auckland and I must say I was very taken with their foyer – the fantastic tiles (original) and the magnificent 1950s light fitting that dominates the space. They don’t build them like they used to! www.scenic-circle.co.nz

Sweeping in the Changes

Images supplied by Scenic Circle Hotels.

There’s no greater truism in tourism than the fact that nothing stays the same. This is especially so of hotels. I sometimes think they ‘change their clothes’ more often than I do – upgrading here, refurbishing there, extending, upscaling, modernising, revamping, re-imaging – it’s all part of hotel life; and as soon as one revamp is finished, it’s time to start another. And it’s pleasing to see New Zealand’s largest 100%-Kiwi owned hotel chain Scenic Circle, ringing in the changes and competing well with many bigger internationally-owned properties. They currently have sixteen hotels throughout the country – good, comfortable stays at very reasonable prices – and more are on the drawing board. As part of their expansion strategy, they’re also constantly re-vitalising their existing hotels. The Scenic Circle Bay of Islands Hotel is a case in point. They’ve recently added 56 new deluxe rooms here and refurbished the 38 existing standard rooms – with the fresh, bright colour schemes shown above. All four wings of the new deluxe rooms face into a lush subtropical garden, which features ambient up-lighting, water features and boardwalks. I think I’ll be more than happy curling up here. If you want to read about recent happenings at their flagship Dunedin property, click here or on Scenic Circle in the index line below this post. www.scenic-circle.co.nz

Sleeping on a Cloud

Scenic Circle Southern Cross, Dunedin. Images supplied by Scenic Circle Hotels.

I’ve lost count of the number of hotel beds I’ve slept in – (in my role as a hotel reviewer she quickly adds) – and I’ve sometimes wished I could take the beds home with me. The team at our very own, 100% New Zealand-owned Scenic Circle Hotels therefore, get three cheers from me. They don’t exactly let you walk out with the beds but, after an $8-million refurbishment of their flagship Dunedin property, The Southern Cross, over 200 of their special 7cm thick feather and wool mattress overlays have sold to guests staying at the hotel. They also feature one of those delightful things called a pillow menu – something I have yet to come to terms with ..… if only because I am very loyal to my own pillow and because I think a pillow menu should come in partnership with a chocolate menu so you can order both your favourite pillow and the sort of chocolate treat you want laid on it at turn-down time. But I digress….. cloud-soft bed-things are not all that’s been going on at the Southern Cross. Dunedin’s oldest and largest hotel, designed by prominent Italian architect, Louis Boldini was once considered the finest in the Southern Hemisphere. Much more recently, Christchurch’s Dalman Architects have brought the old beauty into the 21st century, showering 'her' in rich fabrics, ornate gilt-framed mirrors and crystal chandeliers. It’s a comeback for opulence and refinement in partnership with technology and your pick of goose feather, wool, hypo-allergenic, standard, tri or chamber style pillows. http://www.scenic-circle.co.nz/ http://www.dalman.co.nz/