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FIVE-LEVEL BACKPACKERS FOR DOWNTOWN QUEENSTOWN

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June, 2017

A huge crane on the edge of downtown Queenstown heralds
construction of not only the CBDs tallest building, but also one of its
more interesting.
Contractor Naylor Love is building a 14-metre-high, five-level
backpackers for local developer Ian Hamiltons Oxford Holdings.
The previous three-level building, housing three bars, was demolished.
Lessee Jucy Group, best known for its green and purple rental cars and
campervans, will occupy the new building with a 256-person Jucy
Snooze, opening next autumn.
Jucy Group boss Tim Alpe says his company spent about five years
looking for premises.
Queenstown, from a Jucy perspective, is incredibly important to us.
His mission was to find somewhere within walking distance of world-
famous burger joint Fergburger.
Our customers tend to be the ones that want to be around the CBD,
they want to be in the bars and experience the downtown, so that was
always important to us.
Jucy Group found Hamiltons property, on the Camp Street/Memorial St
corner.
After buying out the bar leases, the plan was to add two floors on top of
the existing building.
But it was going to be very difficult to do, and expensive, with a lot of
unknown costs, too, Hamilton says.
As a result, the decision was made to build from scratch.
Oxford Holdings obtained resource consent for a building thats one
floor higher than allowed under the current district plan but exactly
the height envisaged in the proposed plan.
Following the lead of its sister Christchurch backpackers, which opened
last November, Queenstowns Jucy Snooze will provide two-metre-long
pods for its bunkroom guests.
Alpe: When we first looked at putting bunks into the rooms, we asked
our customers, what do you like and what you hate about the
traditional dorm beds?
They said four things they hated people stealing clothing, fights over
power points, people watching them while they slept and being told
when to go to bed because the lights were going out.
Inspired by pod hotels in Japan, Jucy Groups designed pods that have
their own USB ports, lights and roller blinds.
It gives you more space but the biggest thing it gives you is privacy,
Alpe says.
Queenstowns Jucy Snooze will have 24 bunk rooms with eight pods each
and 36 hotel-style rooms.
The backpackers is taking bookings from July 1.
It will be slightly dearer than a normal bunk bed, but not overly, Alpe
says.
His companys spending more than $2 million on the fit-out, he reveals.
He also hails the design by JCY Architects Queenstown office.
At this stage were scheduled to be completed by the end of
February/start of March.
Opening-wise, well be a little bit after that.
Cooking facilities will sit on the second floor.
Therell be a bar, restaurant and large common room on the top floor.
Alpe says: Because it will be probably one of the tallest buildings in
Queenstown, the views from there will be incredible.
As the buildings in the Queenstown Town Centre zone, theres no
carparking requirement.
However Alpe says theyll provide a free shuttle service from the
airport.

(Source: Mountain Scene)