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"Positive signal": Queenstown hotel set for an upgrade as tourism flourishes

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 11 Feb 2026, 9:09am
IHG's Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown will be converted into voco Queenstown. Photo / Supplied
IHG's Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown will be converted into voco Queenstown. Photo / Supplied

"Positive signal": Queenstown hotel set for an upgrade as tourism flourishes

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 11 Feb 2026, 9:09am

Things are continuing to flourish in Queenstown. 

The mid-scale ‘Holiday Inn Express & Suites’, which boasts 277 rooms in the City Centre, is being refurbished to become ‘voco Queenstown’ – part of IHG’s premium portfolio. 

The move targets high-end tourism, with the hotel running at around 90% occupancy for nine months of the year.  

Hotel Council Aotearoa Strategic Director James Doolan told Mike Hosking that it’s normal to think about renovating and repositioning every seven to ten years, but upgrading to the next level is an encouraging sign.  

He says central government’s increased investment in event attraction and destination marketing has allowed private businesses to invest in their assets.  

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