SkyCity luxury hotel decision will ride on result

SkyCity is to reveal next month whether it will go ahead with plans to build Hamilton's first five-star hotel.

Council consent has been granted for the three-storey luxury hotel, to be built atop the existing central city casino on Victoria St. The development will add 135 hotel suites, and includes plans for a pool, gymnasium and sauna facility.

The top mezzanine level of the Hamilton hotel will be reserved for SkyCity's VIP customers, with only those rooming in the exclusive "premier suites" given access to it. Eight premier suites will be about 80sq m and dwarf the next tier of rooms available at the hotel - the "king suites", about 45sq m in size. The remaining rooms will be a range of smaller suites.

SkyCity Hamilton has obtained land use consent for the project, which adds nearly 15m in height and 9000sq m to the complex, almost doubling its floor space.

But casino operators have refused to confirm whether they will go ahead with the plans.

Chief financial officer James Burrell said they were waiting for the release of the company's financial results on August 15.

" ... we will update the market on the status of potential projects at that point."

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker said the casino giant had indicated it did want to "get on" with building the hotel. The hotel would provide the previously identified shortage of quality hotels in the city to support the new Claudelands Event Centre.

"From my perspective, yes, another hotel is needed in the city of that standard, and that's backed up by the reports, what everyone is telling us and the regional tourism office and Claudelands themselves from the inquiries they have."