The Langlands, Invercargill’s newest hotel, has been compared with staying in the Big Apple.
Its official opening was held in Invercargill yesterday morning.
The Invercargill Licensing Trust-owned $52 million, seven-storey, 78-room, 4.5-star hotel boasts five eateries and bars, including a top-storey cocktail bar with all-round views of the city.
"People in Invercargill now are saying how exciting it is to have a hotel with such high quality.
"The ones that are staying here said they’d feel comfortable if it was in New York or Sydney, [but] it happens to be in Invercargill. So it is exciting.
"It was a dream and it's a dream that's come true.
“From the beginning, the board wanted to create a unique experience for both locals and visitors in a modern and contemporary setting.
"We wanted to add some vibrancy to the inner city and, based on the feedback so far, I think we’ve done that," Mr Dennis said.
Trust chief executive Chris Ramsay said, despite some unforeseen challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the quality was never compromised.
"We signed the contract with the main contractor Leigh’s back in October or mid year 2019, construction started sort of October 2019, Covid wasn't even a thing.
"Then we hit the skids as everyone else did in March 2020.
"I look back on that moment, and there's a few decisions you make through any project that you go ‘Yeah ... OK’. Well, we got it right."
He said the building of the Ascot Park and Kelvin hotels — two other trust hotels in the city — had combined costs of under $4 million as opposed to The Langlands’ $52 million price tag, which was partly due to a the economic climate.
Alison Langlands Joyce, Vivienne Clarence and Jocelyn Hurring, the great-great-great grandchildren of William Langlands — the hotel’s namesake and original landowner in the mid-1800s — were also on site for the opening.
Mrs Hurring said they had been treated very well by the ILT during construction.
"Even our grandchildren ... they know it all and know the Langlands connection and it's all very special, you know, going through the generations as well," Mrs Hurring said.
There was a soft launch last month in which the accommodation, the Brew’d cafe and the lobby bar Two Doors Down opened for business.
Niche, the laneway bar, quickly followed, with the top-floor cocktail bar 360 opening its doors to the public last week.
Meld, the hotel’s fusion restaurant, is the only space remaining to be formally opened as the ILT looks to secure a full roster of chefs needed to cater for the hotel’s capacity.
Mr Ramsey said three overseas chefs were lined up, though the visa application process was ongoing and proving challenging.
By: Ben Tomsett
