Amora Hotel (New Zealand)
| Amora Hotel | |
|---|---|
Amora Hotel in 2023 | |
Interactive map of Amora Hotel | |
| General information | |
| Location | Wakefield Street, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 41°17′27″S 174°46′44″E / 41.2909°S 174.7789°E |
| Closed | 2017 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 192 |
The Amora Hotel is a building in Wellington, New Zealand, that was closed in 2017 following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. The four-star[1] hotel had 192 rooms.[2] There are plans to redevelop it into a new hotel.
History
The hotel was built in the 1980s and called the Plaza International.[3] It became the Duxton Hotel in the 1990s,[3] changing its name again in 2011 when it was bought by the Amora Group[3][4] and refurbished.[4][5] After the building was damaged in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, it was required by the Wellington City Council to have "invasive" engineering testing done; 71 other buildings were also required to be tested. The hotel was closed in May 2017 for refurbishment.[2][5] In 2018 it was below 34 per cent of the New Building Standard, making it legally earthquake-prone.[2]
The building was previously connected to the Michael Fowler Centre car park by a footbridge over Wakefield Street.[6] The bridge was built in the 1980s in a postmodernist style and was closed c. 2011 but the Wellington City Council reportedly does not know why.[7] After the hotel was closed in 2017, the bridge became useless. It started being used by rough sleepers and graffiti artists and was used for anti-social behaviour that caused the need for repairs. Following the closure the bridge was also used for illegal access the hotel and the neighbouring Pringle House, which was also closed due to seismic issues. The bridge was demolished in July 2025.[6][7]
In November 2018 Prime Property Group bought the hotel building with the intention of restoring it.[2] In 2021 the group described plans to upgrade the building to 130 per cent of the New Building Standard and open it with a new five-star hotel. They estimated that it would open in 2024.[8] This did not happen however and the property was bought by Precinct Properties in 2023 for $15 million.[1]
References
- ^ a b "What's happening with the abandoned Amora Hotel in Wellington?". Stuff. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Amora Hotel sold to Prime Property Group for undisclosed amount". Stuff. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b c "Iconic Wellington Hotel to undergo multi-million dollar refu | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Duxton Hotel changing its name – next month it will be the Amora". Scoop. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Wellington's Amora Hotel says it is closing for up to 12 months". Stuff. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Wellington footbridge faces demolition after earthquake closure". RNZ. 19 July 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Wellington's 'bridge to nowhere' will be demolished". Stuff. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ "New five-star hotel, supermarket on the cards for inner-city Wellington". Stuff. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2025.