‘Flashpacker’ accommodation set to underpin growth

Media Release
Date 19.5.2009

‘Flashpacker’ accommodation set to underpin retail growth in New Zealand’s adventure capital

Queenstown’s reputation as New Zealand’s adventure and party-town capital has been the primary driver for the development of an upmarket backpackers accommodation facility surrounded by hospitality and retail outlets in the heart of the central business district.

The 3000square metre complex straddling Church Street and Searle Lane in Queenstown is scheduled to open in mid-July, with high-profile Nomads backpacker chain as an anchor tenant taking a majority of the space within the building. The four level development will offer a range of mixed-use retail space at ground level, with accommodation facilities on the upper three floors.
The Nomad accommodation facilities – branded under the new tourism category of ‘flashpacking’ - consist of 78 rooms in a variety of dorms, family and king ensuite configuration. At the top end of the offering, the Nomads site will offer 27 ensuite king rooms and nine ensuite family rooms. Meanwhile at the budget end of the market, the accommodation will feature four to 10 bed dormitory style rooms for the traditional backpacker customer.
The Queenstown premises adds to Nomads’ now 15 owned and managed properties throughout Australia (including Sydney, Cairns, Melbourne) New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington) and Fiji The complex has been developed by Australian-based businessman Rob Gardos of GW Property Group (NZ) Ltd who says that the new development not only ties the two parts of CBD Queenstown together, but also puts in excess of 300 beds and potential customers into the area.
“Surrounding bars and restaurants in the central business precinct will ‘piggy-back’ off this development, which brings free-spending international tourists into the heart of the town rather than accommodating them in town fringe residences,” said Mr Gardos.

“There are plans further down the line to upgrade Searle Lane to make it more attractive and pedestrian friendly – further enhancing the appeal of this complex,” he added.

Nine retail outlets within the Nomads building are available for occupation – with leasing opportunities being marketed by Bayleys Queenstown. Bayleys Commercial and industrial sales consultant Martin Barwood said the retail units had been built in a variety of sizes to cater for a raft of potential enterprises – from clothing and souvenir retailers through to a café or gourmet convenience food outlet. Shop sizes ranged from 60 – 100-square metres, and seven have street frontages onto either Church Street or Searle Lane.

“Nomads is ready to hit the ground running with this development – and already the ‘flashpackers’ has forward bookings for when it opens. The proximity of Queenstown’s concentration of bars in and around Cow Lane, The Mall and Searle Lane will prove a magnet for the type of occupant which Nomads markets to,” Mr Barwood said.

“Typically ‘flashpackers’ stay an average of 3.4 nights in Queenstown and will spend somewhere in the vicinity of NZ$1100 on tourism and adventure activities, food, beverage, souvenirs and entertainment. The retail outlets set to occupy the Nomads building can easily expect to capture a lucrative slice of that spend.”

As well as regular custom from the itinerant backpacker market, the retail units within the Nomads complex will also enjoy a long-term customer base from residents within the greater Queenstown area accessing the 148-space Wilsons car park underneath the building.

“Parking in central Queenstown has been at a premium for seven years now as the town’s population – both resident and visitor – has grown substantially, yet car parking availability has not managed to keep pace. Consequently, Wilsons is forecasting an average daily occupancy of between 83 and 92 per cent – delivering a high volume of foot traffic past the exit points onto Church Street or Searle Lane,” Mr Barwood said.

The Nomads building has been designed by Kerry Mason from Queenstown architecture consultancy MAP Architects whose most notable work to date has been the Amisfield Winery just out of Queenstown which has won several awards for its construction. The Nomads building has made extensive use of stacked stone in keeping with the surrounding older structures and also utilised floor to ceiling window space for high profile retailing.
Mr Barwood hoped to have tenancy agreements in place for the building’s opening in June, or when the Nomads business kicked off in July. Expressions of interest are currently being taken by Bayleys Queenstown.
Caption: Transforming backpacking to ‘flashpacking’ – the new Nomads accommodation facility with exciting retail opportunities below.

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