Mantra Group has announced that it will manage the fully reconstructed 263 room hotel located at 165 Cashel Street when it reopens in April 2015.
The property, formerly the All Seasons, closed after the February 2011 earthquakes and was previously the largest hotel in the South Island.
The original hotel was constructed in 1987 as a commercial office building and two decades later was retrofitted to become Hotel So.
An extensive refurbishment and redesign of the hotel, done by Dalman Architecture, has been underway since new owners – Auckland based Russell Property Group and an investment partner – purchased the property in January 2014.
Russell Property Group Managing Director Brett Russell said,“A total investment of over NZD$30m has been committed to the project, which will also see the hotel reach a Grade A seismic rating, incorporate a new exterior façade and provide an active and expanded ground floor opening onto Cashel Street.
“This will undoubtedly revive what arguably the city’s most popular hotel by offering modern and vibrant, yet a highly affordable accommodation for the tech-savvy business and leisure traveller.”
BreakFree on Cashel is in close proximity to the revitalised Cashel Mall and in the vicinity of many projects that are currently underway including the justice precinct, the central bus interchange, the new sports stadium and the convention centre.
Christchurch and Canterbury CEO Tim Hunter said, “With the NZD$40 billion rebuild gathering momentum and 90% of the pre-earthquake tourism activities back in operation the city is being enjoyed by many more visitors this summer. More than 35 new restaurant, bars and cafes have opened in the inner city in the past six months, fantastic new architecture is emerging and Christchurch is again becoming a focal point for tourism in the South Island.”
Mantra Group CEO Bob East said, “Christchurch is fast returning to the vibrant tourism and business precinct for which it has been known. We are pleased to have a significant presence in the city’s resurgence by filling a gap in the accommodation market with the 263 room BreakFree on Cashel; the largest 3- to 4-star hotel in Christchurch,”
The remodelled hotel consists of 263 hotel rooms, an interactive cafe, restaurant, bar and breakfast room, a guest lounge, a conference room catering for up to 80 people and two boardroom style meeting spaces with capacity for 20 people. Plans for self check-in kiosks will be implemented in late 2016.
