ILT board president Alan Dennis formally cut the ribbon to The Langlands Hotel on Thursday 29 September.
The $52 million, seven storey, 78-room, 4.5 star hotel is located in the heart of the city and is the largest single development in ILT’s history.
As he officially opened the hotel Mr Dennis reflected on where Invercargill has come from and described it as an exciting time for the city.
“I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to open New Zealand’s newest hotel”.
“From the beginning, the board wanted to create a unique experience for both locals and visitors in a modern and contemporary setting. We wanted to add some vibrancy to the inner city and based on the feedback so far I think we’ve done that,’’ he said.
The landmark hotel has always been proposed as more than a hotel with five bespoke eateries and bars included within the development.
A soft launch in August saw the accommodation, Brew’d café and the lobby bar Two Doors Down open for business.
This was quickly followed by Niche the laneway bar and most recently the 360, the top floor cocktail bar, which formally opened its door to the public on Friday 23rd September.
ILT’s chief executive Chris Ramsay describes the official opening as a major milestone moment.
“It’s great to be able to share this occasion with those people who have worked tirelessly on this project. It represents the culmination of almost 6 years of planning and development”, he said.
“We are delighted with the finished product, it is a world class hotel right here in Invercargill and one that we hope the whole community can be proud of.”
Meld, the hotel’s fusion restaurant is the only space remaining to be formally opened. This will be opened as soon as ILT secures the full roster of chefs needed to cater for the hotel’s full menu offering.
“As with all our areas of the business, we want to ensure the experience in Meld is exceptional from day one, hence not wanting to compromise in our recruitment for key positions. The team is eagerly anticipating sharing some of our famous southern manaakitanga”, said Mr Ramsay.