His Royal Highness Prince Charles was amongst those in attendance at the Kaikōura Future exhibition last weekend, where he viewed plans for Sudima's new hotel, expected to open in 2021.
The hotel will be designed for domestic and international leisure travellers and offer 120 rooms, a restaurant and bar, conference facilities, and a gym and pool. The start-of-the-art waterfront hotel will have a 4.5-star rating.
"The town of Kaikōura couldn’t have a more picturesque setting. It sits on a rocky peninsula that extends from lush farmland, overlooking the deepest, bluest sea you’ve ever seen," said Sudima CEO Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala. "Looming over it there’s the rocky Kaikoura mountains, a branch of the Southern Alps."
The Prince attended the exhibition at Takahanga Marae where he met with tangata whenua (local people) and some of the rangatahi (young people) who will go on to shape Kaikōura's future.
On walks across the district - his first visit since the region was struck by a devastating earthquake in 2016 - he met some of the first responders and volunteers from the earthquake response and recovery, as well as riders against domestic violence and children taking on the challenge of giving Kaikōura back its mana.
"The Prince also took in our coast, landscapes and town and saw firsthand the work some of our dedicated community caring for the future of the Hutton’s Shearwater," said the mayor of Kaikōura District Craig Mackle.
"This endangered seabird makes its home in the Kaikōura ranges, the only place on earth the species breeds."
