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Restoration of The Warkworth Hotel has taken about six months longer than expected.
Project director Dave Stott says the hotel will retain its historic character.
The historic Warkworth Hotel is expected to reopen on Labour Weekend and may even be partially open for the Kowhai Festival’s Huge Day Out on Sunday, October 18.
The hotel, which dates back to the 1860s, has undergone extensive renovation and refurbishment.
The renovations included raising the 50-tonne building by half a metre to avoid the risk of flooding.
Project director Dave Stott says the actual raising of the building proved relatively straightforward, but other complications have delayed completion of the renovation by around six months.
Mr Stott says the building turned out to be in considerably worse condition than originally expected and the need to remove rotten timber has meant that the whole structure of the building has essentially had to be rebuilt.
He adds that complying with heritage requirements and more stringent earthquake and fire regulations has also been challenging. Mr Stott says fire regulations have become especially strict in New Zealand in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
Further delays were introduced by the Covid-19 lockdown, which required work to halt completely during Level 4 and slowed it during Level 3.
“We would have lost about six week in total due to Covid,” Mr Stott says.
Contractors are currently completing finishing touches, such as installing lighting, skirting and door trim.
Mr Stott says despite the revamp, the hotel will retain its historic feel, with the use of darker colours in the paint scheme, the retention of some of the original internal doors and traditional tiles in the toilets.
The downstairs floor will house a bar and a restaurant with seating for around 60 patrons.
The restaurant and bar will both boast an exposed kauri floor.
The top floor features a large space suitable for receptions and public meetings.
