KEY POINTS:
Auckland International Airport wants a luxury hotel built near a terminal in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The airport company is seeking expressions of interest from developers, investors and operators for the 4 to 5 star, 250-room terminal hotel. The closing date for submissions is September 14, 2007.
Spokeswoman Jenny Richards said yesterday that it was too early to say exactly where the proposed hotel would be situated, but it would be somewhere near the northern side of the international terminal.
She said there had been a strong demand from travellers and airline crew to follow overseas trends and have a hotel near the terminal.
The new hotel and another budget hotel are part of a 2005, 20-year and beyond, masterplan for the development of the airport.
She said the hotel would be located to suit the present expansion of the international terminal.
"People will come through Customs, collect their baggage, meet their friends and family and then a walkway will link them over to the hotel.
"Eventually this will also link to the new domestic terminal, which as part of the 20-year plan will be relocated on the other side of the current international terminal."
She said facilities would include a swimming pool, restaurants, gym, bar, spa, business centre, library, movie theatre, travel desk, meeting rooms, shops and carpark.
Yesterday's announcement was part of the masterplan and in no way related to the Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) merger proposal, said Chris Gudgeon, the airport's general manager of property.
DAE has said that if it is successful in buying a controlling stake in the airport it will adhere to the growth strategy set out by the masterplan.
