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QUEENSTOWN HOT POOLS COMPLEX SET FOR HUGE EXPANSION

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July, 2018

Owners of a hot pools complex at Queenstowns Arthurs Point are
planning to double the size of their popular tourist attraction.
Onsen Hot Pools and Spas Rachael and Scott Haydon want resource
consent to add a west wing with eight cedar-lined hot tubs five outside
and three inside plus four new massage rooms, new offices and a
larger staffroom.
Theyre hoping the $1 million-plus extension 285 square metres of
ground floor and 230sqm of upper floor will be ready next winter.
Routinely booked out, the present two-level complex, opened by Mitsi
and Tony Williams in 2007, comprises six indoor pools with retractable
roofs along with massage rooms.
These new outdoor pools will be designed to provide a more traditional
Japanese onsen experience in a garden environment.
From Auckland, the Haydons bought Onsen Hot Pools & Spa off the
original owners two years ago for $2m one of Queenstowns few
tourism businesses that come with a freehold property.
Scott says theyve replaced the pools and decking and upgraded the
reception area.
To use hotel star ratings, it was like [going from a] three-star up to a
five-star.
Its not just a hot pool in the backyard its something special.
Already ranking highly on global online review site TripAdvisor, the
attraction has become an Instagram sensation in recent years as
celebrities post pictures of themselves in a hot tub with the stunning
Shotover River backdrop.
An example is Canadian super-star Alanis Morissette who visited Onsen
before performing at the Gibbston Valley Winery concert last summer.
It also features on GoPro and LADBible Instagram accounts which each
have more than 10 million followers.
The business benefits from its location in fast-growing Arthurs Point
where its surrounded by new apartment and housing developments
under construction including La Residence du Parc right above.
Its popularity in winter is also boosted by its proximity to the Coronet
Peak skifield.
Scott: I just think Arthurs Point was a little bit forgotten about for a
while, and then all of a sudden people have woken up to the fact its
pretty close to town and the traffics far less [than Frankton Road].
He says the reason for extending Onsen is to future-proof the business
and get ready for the next stage.
Co-owner Scott Haydon on the site of the planned extension
Rachael adds: Expanding our offering to include both indoor and
outdoor pools as well as more massage facilities will ensure Onsen
continues to provide visitors with the ultimate tranquil escape from the
action-packed, adrenalin-filled activities and winery offerings in the
region for years to come.
The couple commissioned Mark Gray, from Queenstowns Wyatt + Gray
Architects, to design the extension.
Gray says its an exciting and highly technical project on a spectacular
site.
Its likely Coloursteel and cedar cladding will be used to match the
existing building and blend in with the landscape.
New carparks will also be added on an adjacent site.
Meanwhile, Onsen this month won best unique experience spa and
best luxury mountain resort spa in Australia and Oceania at the World
Luxury Spa Awards.
Source: Mountain Scene