The North Western Hotel will be sold when a major upgrade of its accommodation is completed by the end of the year.
The accommodation section of the hotel and the recently-built gymnasium will continue to operate.
The bar of the North Western will close next Saturday.
Mr Skevington, now 28, can lay claim to being one of the youngest hotel proprietors in New Zealand.
In 1999, he was too young to hold a manager's licence and leased the hotel with a partner, Richard Cook, who held the licence. Later, the freehold of the hotel was purchased.
Mr Skevington and his father embarked on an upgrade of the hotel.
A gym was built and an outdoor area with a barbecue constructed.
A major upgrade of the 10-bedroom upper-floor accommodation is under way, including one en suite bedroom.
The upgrade is expected to be finished by the end of this year.
The North Western hotel will be placed on the market once the upgrade is completed.
There is a considerable demand for accommodation in Palmerston.
The North Western could operate well as a family-owned business, Mr Skevington said.
The North Western Hotel will be placed on the market once the upgrade is completed.
There is considerable demand for accommodation in Palmerston.
The North Western could operate well as a family-owned business, Mr Skevington said.
The demands of his contracting business and a desire to spend more time with his family have led to his decision to sell the notable hotel.
Running a hotel was a "24/7" commitment, Mr Skevington said A wooden North Western Hotel, built in 1862, was one of the first buildings in Palmerston.
The brick North Western Hotel was opened in 1883.
It was then one of seven hotels in Palmerston.
The North Western was the departure point for the Central Otago coach.
When "no-licence" was voted in 1905, the North Western lost its liquor licence and became a boarding house.
It opened again as licensed premises in 1992.
One of the early mayors of Palmerston, J.H.
Gilligan, was the first licensee of the North Western Hotel.
