US celebrity floods room

An American billionaire with celebrity connections has left Queenstown under a damp cloud this week after flooding in a five-star hotel caused $25,000 worth of damage.

Police and the Fire Service were called to the Sofitel, where the cheapest rooms are $400 a night, on the morning of January 2.

Queenstown fire chief Bob Robertson said a wall-mounted sprinkler was the cause of the deluge.

"They must have put a coat hanger on it - and it was either when they put it on or took it off the sprinkler head broke off."

He said the room was flooded by the time the fire crew arrived. "There was quite a significant amount of water."

Sodden furniture had to be moved outside to dry and it was likely the carpet would have to be lifted, Robertson said.

The flooded room is understood to have been used by gossip-site regular and American rich-lister John Paul DeJoria.

DeJoria was homeless as a young man, but after an early stint selling magazine subscriptions he built a $5.5 billion empire on the back of shampoo and tequila.

He founded John Paul Mitchell Systems and the Patron Spirits Company and, in 1993, he married former Playboy playmate Eloise Brady.

DeJoria held a celebrity party in Malibu just before Christmas and pictures from the event show the host wearing a brass-buttoned red military jacket while sharing tequila shots with Dan Aykroyd and Sean Penn.

Robertson said DeJoria approached him as they were mopping up the mess and was told one of his six children was most likely responsible for the flooding.

"He said his son was in the room," Robertson said.

Police said no charges would be laid.

The fire chief did not realise until later this week that he'd had a close brush with the man who Forbes magazine last year ranked as the 65th richest American.

"To me he just looked like an average guy, you'd have no idea he was a billionaire."

Sofitel manager Wouter de Graaf did not return calls.