Misplaced Pages

#434565

46-570: The Grand Chateau , also known as the Chateau Tongariro , was a hotel and resort complex located in Whakapapa Village close to Whakapapa skifield on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu , within the boundaries of Tongariro National Park , New Zealand's oldest national park. It is also close to the volcanic peaks of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe . The building was completed in 1929 and, despite extensive refurbishment, still retains much of

92-715: A 100 kW hydro power station in the Whakapapanui Stream, which provided power for lighting and cooking. By the early 1950s the power supplies at the complex were becoming inadequate. In June 1952 the Ministry of Works requested the King Country Electric Power Board to provide a 500 to 600 kW power supply to the Chateau. This resulted in an 8.5-mile long overhead 11 kV transmission line being constructed and commissioned in 1955. This not only supplied power to

138-647: A coast. In the United Kingdom, many seaside towns have turned to other entertainment industries, and some of them have much nightlife. The cinemas and theatres often remain to become host to a number of pubs, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Most of their entertainment facilities cater for both local people and visitors and the beaches still remain popular during the summer months. In Europe and North America, ski resorts are towns and villages in ski areas, with support services for skiing such as hotels and chalets , equipment rental, ski schools and ski lifts to access

184-673: A contract in late 1928 to Fletcher Construction Company, which also involved Fletchers buying 15,000 of shares in the Tongariro Park Tourist Company. The Chateau was designed by Timaru-based Herbert Hall (1880–1939), architect to the Mount Cook Tourist Company, who modelled his design on the Canadian Resort of Lake Louise . Influenced by the hotels built by the Canadian Pacific Railway , such as

230-477: A convenient place to stay. There are more than 1500 timeshare resorts in the United States that are operated by major hospitality, timeshare-specific, or independent companies. They represent 198,000 residences and nearly 9 million owners, who pay an average $ 880 per year in maintenance fees. A reported 16% of the residences became vacation rentals . Towns that are resorts or in which tourism or vacationing

276-553: A foreshock on the late afternoon of the 1st. This was of magnitude 7.0 M s   (M w   6.8) or slightly less than the earlier quake. The epicentre was 40 km deep and at location 41.01°S and 175.52°E. The settlement of Eketāhuna did not suffer as badly, though in Masterton, the June damage was exacerbated. The 2 August aftershock was followed by a third severe aftershock on 2 December, with about 600 aftershocks recorded to

322-539: A loss of £19,000, (which included £1000 of losses incurred during their period of ownership). In 1932 the hotel was taken over by the National Park Board, who quickly transferred the title to the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, which owned and ran the hotel for the next 26 years. Over this period, the hotel manager not only ran the Chateau, but also Tongariro National Park. The sole park ranger, Alf Cowling,

368-427: A resort destination such as a recreational area, a scenic or historic site, amusement park , a gaming facility, or other tourist attraction may compete with other businesses at a destination. Consequently, another quality of a destination resort is that it offers food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping within the facility so that guests have no need to leave the facility throughout their stay. Commonly,

414-551: A subsidiary of Oriental Holdings Berhad (OHB), a Malaysian-based conglomerate owned by the Loh family, with hotel and restaurant holdings in Singapore and Malaysia.The land belongs to the Crown, and was leased to Kah New Zealand. The new owners invested NZ$ 3 million in refurbishing the complex and renamed it The Grand Chateau (although it is still widely referred to as Chateau Tongariro). The ski area

460-627: A ten month period, and the heavy showers of ash disrupted the Chateau's power and water supply; the patients were evacuated to Ramarama . The Chateau then served as a rest and recuperation centre for Air Force personnel returning from service in World War II. After the War was a boom time for Whakapapa skifield, with the installation of ski-tows, chair lifts, and new facilities. In August 1948, newly renovated, Chateau Tongariro reopened to provide accommodation for increasing numbers of visitors. In 1957, control of

506-572: A tenth do so. All-inclusive resorts are found in the Caribbean , particularly in Jamaica , Dominican Republic ; in Egypt , and elsewhere. Notable examples are Club Med , Sandals Resorts , and Beaches Resorts . An all-inclusive resort includes three meals daily, soft drinks , most alcoholic drinks , gratuities , and usually other services in the price. Many also offer sports and other activities included in

SECTION 10

#1732851810435

552-412: A town which people visit for holidays and day trips, typically containing hotels where holidaymakers stay. Examples of such towns include Blackpool and Brighton . A destination resort is a resort that itself contains the necessary guest attraction capabilities so it does not need to be near a destination (town, historic site, theme park, or other) to attract its patrons. A commercial establishment at

598-449: A variety of dining and entertainment options. An all-inclusive resort charges a fixed price that includes most or all items. At a minimum, most inclusive resorts include lodging, unlimited food, drink, sports activities, and entertainment for the fixed price. In recent years, the number of resorts in the United States offering "all-inclusive" amenities has decreased dramatically. In 1961, over half offered such plans, but in 2007, less than

644-1068: Is a major part of the local activity are sometimes called resort towns . If by the sea, they are called seaside resorts . Inland resorts include ski resorts , mountain resorts and spa towns . Well-known resort towns include Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic , Bandipur in Nepal , Bali in Indonesia , Sochi in Russia , Mount Lebanon Tourism in Lebanon , Barizo in Spain , Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Druskininkai in Lithuania , Cartagena de Indias in Colombia , Cancún in Mexico , Newport, Rhode Island , and Key West, Florida , in

690-505: Is a short-term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa goers to develop healthy habits. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters. Typically over a seven-day stay, such facilities provide a comprehensive program that includes spa services, physical fitness activities, healthy diet programs, and special interest programming. Golf resorts are resorts that cater specifically to

736-485: Is also a subsidiary of Oriental Holdings Berhad (OHB). After the 2008 global financial crisis , skiing holidays dropped off, and Kah New Zealand posted losses for four straight years, totalling $ 1.9 million, before making a profit again in 2016. In 2020, in response to the loss of overseas tourists due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Chateau offered discounted ($ 70 a night) rooms and had over 3500 bookings over May and June, normally quiet months. Tourism New Zealand raised

782-589: The Château Frontenac , he designed a neo-Georgian structure of four stories and basement. The style of the building was not European, despite its name, but American Colonial Revival , a variant of the Georgian Revival style popular between the wars. It is possibly the only building in New Zealand made of reinforced concrete but designed to resemble a traditional Georgian brick building. The foundation stone

828-689: The Las Vegas Strip . In Singapore , integrated resort is a euphemism for a casino -based destination resort. A holiday village is a type of self-contained resort in Europe whose accommodation is generally in villas . A holiday camp , in the United Kingdom , refers to a resort whose accommodation is in chalets or static caravans . A resort hotel contains full-sized luxury facilities with full-service accommodations and amenities . These hotels may attract vacationing tourists and offer more than

874-586: The United States , Ischgl in Austria , St. Moritz in Switzerland and Blackpool in the United Kingdom . A resort island is an island or an archipelago that contains resorts, hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, and its amenities. Maldives is considered to have the best island resorts, which have become famous among the top celebrities and sportspersons around the world. Seaside resorts are located on

920-521: The Wairarapa region. The June earthquake was sometimes referred to as the Masterton earthquake but both caused damage over a wide area, from Dannevirke and Eketāhuna over to Whanganui and down to Ōtaki and Wellington . There was one death in Wellington, on 24 June. The August earthquake can be regarded as an aftershock of the June earthquake. Both earthquakes were preceded by smaller foreshocks. As

966-460: The Regent Hotel. Manners Street between Willis and Cuba Streets was closed for several months. A Wellington Hospital nurse was lucky to be on night duty as a chimney crashed onto her bed. At Porirua Lunatic Asylum (mental hospital), 800 patients had to be transferred to other hospitals. The cost of the damage from these two quakes was more than £2 million (pounds), a considerable amount for

SECTION 20

#1732851810435

1012-736: The Western branch of the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects recognised the Chateau Tongariro with its Enduring Architecture award. The award citation said: Its place in New Zealand’s architectural history is more than a building that’s highly recognisable. The Chateau represents architectural excellence in an era when the country was uncertain about its vernacular but aspired to showcase its wonder. Resort In British English , "resort" means

1058-461: The chateau but also to the Whakapapa ski field and to several mountain huts on Mount Ruapehu. In the early 1960s a second line was constructed and commissioned in 1964 by the King Country Electric Power Board to improve the reliability of supply to the Chateau and other customers in the area. In 1990, during a period of Government privatisation of assets, the Chateau was sold to Kah New Zealand Limited,

1104-611: The company would be reimbursed by the Mount Cook Tourist Company. Unfortunately due to the Depression it was in difficulties and so would not pay for the increased expenditure. James Fletcher , the head of the company, approached the Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward and asked him to increase the government loan to £60,000. Ward agreed and Fletcher obtained a promise from Wigley that the bulk of this injection of money would go to pay Fletchers. The Tongariro Park Tourist Company

1150-463: The end of the year. Repairs from the first quake were not completed, and the mortar for some repairs had not been properly set. Some buildings weakened in June suffered further damage, though it was sometimes hard to tell if further damage had occurred. In Masterton many buildings were badly damaged by the first quake; the fire station, the Bank of New Zealand, several shops, and St Matthews Church (which

1196-901: The facilities are of higher quality than would be expected if one were to stay at a hotel or eat in a town's restaurants. Some examples are Atlantis in the Bahamas ; the Walt Disney World Resort , near Orlando, Florida ; Universal Studios Hollywood in San Fernando Valley , United States ; PortAventura World , near Tarragona on the Costa Daurada in Spain ; Costa do Sauípe, Northeastern Brazil ; Laguna Phuket, Thailand and Sun City , near Johannesburg , South Africa . Closely related to resorts are convention and large meeting sites. Generally, these resorts are located in cities where they offer special meeting halls, ample accommodations, and

1242-467: The hotel passed to the newly created Tourist Hotel Corporation (THC) of New Zealand, which also developed the Whakapapa skifield . The hotel rooms were gradually upgraded and reduced in number from 90 to 64, but the profitability of the Chateau declined. Power to the complex was initially provided by a coal-fired furnace that heated water, which was then circulated around the complex to provide heating, and

1288-518: The possibility of resorts like Chateau Tongariro being purchased by the Government, as was done in 1932, but this was rejected. When a long-term lease expired in April 2020, Kah New Zealand switched to monthly leases, rather than take a new long-term lease. On 27 January 2023, it became known that the hotel's future was uncertain over required earthquake strengthening. Four days later, it was announced that Kah

1334-714: The price as well. They are often located in warmer regions. The all-inclusive model originated in the Club Med resorts, which were founded by the Belgian Gérard Blitz . Some all-inclusive resorts are designed for specific groups. For example, some resorts cater for adults only, and even more-specialized properties accept couples only. Other all-inclusive resorts are geared toward families, with facilities like craft centers, game rooms, and water parks to keep children of all ages entertained. All-inclusive resorts are also very popular locations for destination weddings. A spa resort

1380-481: The second quake was slightly less in magnitude than the first, they were not an earthquake doublet where the second quake is slightly larger. The August earthquake was considerably deeper (40 km, not 12 km), though another source gives the depths as 43 km and 15 km. There was another large aftershock on 2 December and one in February 1943. The region had already experienced several large earthquakes,

1426-466: The slopes. Resorts for different purposes also exist. An example is Yulara , Northern Territory , which exists to serve Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) in Australia . 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes Two 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes shook the lower North Island of New Zealand on 24 June and 2 August. They were large and shallow with epicentres close together east of Masterton in

Chateau Tongariro - Misplaced Pages Continue

1472-467: The sport of golf , and they include access to one or more golf courses and/or clubhouses. Golf resorts typically provide golf packages that provide visitors with all greens and cart fees, range balls, accommodations, and meals. In North America , a ski resort is generally a destination resort in a ski area. The term is less likely to refer to a town or village. A megaresort is a type of destination resort of an exceptionally-large size, such as those along

1518-410: The style of the pre- Depression era. It is listed by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 historic place. The Chateau Tongariro Hotel closed permanently on 5 February 2023, largely because the building has significant seismic risks. In 1923, the newly established Tongariro National Park Board investigated a site for a 100-bed hostel in order to encourage tourists to visit the newly formed park, but it

1564-611: The very large 1855 Wairarapa Earthquake , and the 1934 Pahiatua earthquake in the Northern Wairarapa. The 1855 earthquake occurred on the Wairarapa Fault which is part of the North Island Fault System . At 11.16 pm, a small and sharp but brief earthquake of magnitude 7.2 M s   (M w   6.9–7.2) shook a wide area in the lower North Island from Eketāhuna to Masterton, Featherston, and Wellington; and

1610-512: Was at the time known as The Chateau, alongside the original Whakapapa ski huts, on a land lease of 63 acres. To raise capital for the undertaking the company was floated on the sharemarket, where it was poorly subscribed. The company signed a lease with the government on 9 November 1928, a condition of which was that the building had to be erected by 31 March 1930 (barely 17 months away) and that it "cost not less than £40,000 or more than £60,000". Despite only £30,000 of shares being taken up, Wigley let

1656-403: Was by now in serious financial trouble, which was not helped by spending lavishly fitting out the hotel. Wigley reneged on the deal and passed on only £10,000. The onset of the depression delayed hopes of a tourism boom; to secure their debt Fletchers put the Tongariro Park Tourist Company into receivership in February 1931, took control of the hotel, and ran it for 3 months before walking away with

1702-476: Was laid on 10 January 1929. Fletchers used a workforce of 120 carpenters and labourers, offering an incentive of free accommodation and a free suit to workers who stayed until the completion of the project. Most of the labourers were recruited from the Waikune Prison, which was the closest neighbour to the construction site. The building was open for guests by 1 August 1929, even though it was still unfurnished. It

1748-594: Was later blown up by the Army). The Waiohine River 's road-bridge on State Highway 2 was badly sunken and was closed. After the second quake, Masterton's WFCA building partly collapsed. In Wellington, the first quake toppled some twenty thousand chimneys. In August, there was serious damage near the Willis Street–Manners Street junction to three buildings: Charles Begg's music shop, the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, and

1794-478: Was not until 1925 that New Zealand Government, via the National Park Board, followed up this initiative by offering to lease land and lend up to £40,000 to any private company that would build and operate a hotel on the site. Rodolph Wigley (1881–1946), the managing director of the Mount Cook Tourist Company , took up the option. He formed the Tongariro Park Tourist Company with a vision to build what

1840-599: Was noticed from Auckland to near Dunedin. The main earthquake was 7.2 M s   and the epicentre was near Masterton and 12 km deep. The quake lasted for over a minute and was preceded by a foreshock three hours earlier at 8.15 pm. Many buildings were damaged in Masterton . The mayor Thomas Jordan declared a state of emergency and got troops to patrol the town. There was considerable damage in Palmerston North . Twenty thousand chimneys fell in Wellington and there

1886-434: Was officially opened on 13 November 1929 with Fletcher Construction still owed £28,000. The hotel was lavishly appointed, with panoramic window views, hot and cold running water in every room, and custom-made high-quality furniture. Most of the staff were recruited from overseas. The innovative heating system used enormous boiling-water tanks in the basement and pumped hot water up five storeys; originally coal or oil heated, it

Chateau Tongariro - Misplaced Pages Continue

1932-457: Was one death in Kelburn , where a 70-year old retired chemist, Hedley Victor Evens, was killed by coal gas from a fractured pipe. Some downtown pediments were damaged, but some had already been removed after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake . The city engineer K. E. Luke said that damage was less severe as the quake ended swiftly. Another shock in the area struck on 2 August at 12.34 pm, preceded by

1978-489: Was sold to a separate company. In 2005 a new five-storey wing costing NZ$ 6 million and containing 40 rooms and replicating the style of the original building was opened. To avoid disturbing guests, the expansion used a Scandinavian system of modular construction, with the rooms built in Auckland and trucked to the site where they were installed using a crane. The Chateau was operated by Bayview International Hotels and Resorts, which

2024-526: Was switched to electricity and still operates today. The total cost was £88,000 (well over the contract price) of which the hotel had cost £78,000, while at the request of the Tourist Company another £10,000 had been spent building extra wooden buildings, a garage and a golf course in the front of the hotel. The golf course was designed by an architect serving a prison sentence and built by prison labour. Wigley had led Fletchers to believe that if they overspent

2070-599: Was to close the hotel permanently on 5 February due to seismic risks. The company handed over the keys to the Department of Conservation, However, despite Kah New Zealand not renewing the ground lease, as of September 2024 the buildings remain their property. A detailed seismic assessment indicated that the building represented a risk to occupants that was 25 times that of a building complying with standards for new builds. Deficiencies were identified with parapets and chimneys at risk of falling, inadequate bracing, unreinforced masonry infill, and under-strength foundations. In 2023,

2116-603: Was told "his services were to be at the disposal of the Manager of The Chateau, and that his horse was to be available when not otherwise required for hiring out to guests." The numbers of skiing tourists declined during World War II, so in 1942 the Chateau was commandeered by the Health Department as an asylum when the Wairarapa earthquakes damaged Porirua Psychiatric Institution in Wellington . In late 1945 Ruapehu erupted over

#434565