Two developers are turning a boutique hotel property fringing Arrowtown into a residential enclave, Manse Mews.
Arrow Hotel Ltd’s Mark Samways and Ken Wimsett have bought unconditionally the 6052 square metre parcel at 63 Manse Rd which has housed The Arrow Private Hotel for a number of years.
They’ve already sold off four vacant lots alongside Bush Creek Reserve — ranging between 362 and 547 square metres — and four of the hotel units.
They’re now marketing four adjacent ‘hill villa’ lots ranging between 341 and 509sqm.
For these lots, Arrowtown architect Jeremy Dunlop has drawn up designs for four-bedroom, 260sqm villas, should buyers wish to use them for their house-builds.
The developers also plan to build an accessway, with a turning circle, between these four sites and the four they’ve already sold.
The balance of the hotel complex will also be freehold-titled and sold off.
A resource consent application to subdivide the entire site into 14 freehold lots is being lodged with Queenstown’s council.
Selling well: Eight sales have been made in the new Manse Mews subdivision
Samways says the site’s one of the last remaining parcels to be developed within Arrowtown’s boundaries.
‘‘It’s a hotel, but we looked at it and felt the highest and best use was actually for high-end dwellings sitting on the edge of Arrowtown.’’
By comparison, he says the existing hotel, occupying only about a third of the site, isn’t an economic use.
Wimsett adds the market price for Arrowtown sections — about $2000 per sqm — is higher than even Queenstown’s Jack’s Point.
The site’s also only 600m west of Arrowtown’s CBD, Samways notes.
‘‘If you look at Three Mayors Ridge and some of the infill housing, it’s become more desirable to be nearer the CBD and the amenity of the CBD.’’
The site’s also very close to two walking/cycling tracks, he points out, and sits, he believes, in one of the Whakatipu Basin’s least windy pockets.
Till now, Samways says they’ve sold sites to people with Arrowtown connections, however they believe the hill villas, with good reserve and mountain vistas, might appeal to Aucklanders or those on Australia’s eastern seaboard wanting lock-and-leave holiday homes.
‘‘That’s why we’ve gone out with home designs — and we’d project-manage it for them, as well.’’
He adds both he and Wimsett have had a lot of experience in ‘‘repositioning and developing assets to maximise value’’.
Their development website is mansemewsarrowtown.com
