138 Chinese tradespeople to arrive over next two months to work on luxury Auckland hotel

Fewer tradespeople than hoped for will be flown in from China over the next two months to help finish a luxury Auckland hotel.

The Beijing-based developer behind the $200 million Park Hyatt on Wynyard Quarter copped criticism in February for saying it planned to bring in up to 200 workers due to skilled worker shortages.

A spokesman for Fu Wah told the Herald the company had got approval from Immigration NZ to bring in 138 tradespeople and did not think that number would be increased.

The tradespeople will work alongside the 300-odd local workers already involved, from October through until February.

The fit-out of the hotel is set to be completed by March next year, however, the spokesman says the final completion of the whole project will be later as the commissioning and pre-opening requirements cannot happen until after the fit-out.

"We are grateful for the approval as the workforce shortages we were facing would have caused more delay," the Fu Wah spokesman said.

"Auckland is, as we know, in desperate need for more hotel rooms in the CBD, especially five star, so we will be bringing another 195 rooms into supply next year."