Scenic Hotel Group hibernates four Glacier Country hotels amid Covid-19 struggles

Scenic Hotel Group has announced it will close four of their hotels in the Glacier Country region due to the decimated international tourism market amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Digby Werthmuller

Managing Director Brendan Taylor said their Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Hotels will be placed in hibernation for at least 12 to 18 months.

"What the region needs is certainty of when, where and how international tourism will return to the West Coast," Taylor said.

Consultation started today with 20 hotel staff affected by this decision. However, the group will retain an essential crew to maintain the property.

Taylor says hibernating all four of the Hotels will cost about $2 million a year.

Significant oversupply of accommodation and tourism products in the region were contributing factors to its closure.

Westland District Mayor Bruce Smith says this will allow smaller operators who do not have the strength of a National Group to benefit from the tourism dollars that remain.

“Scenic Hotel Group is a large and successful hotel group that has invested on the coast since the 80s. This move will bring considerable benefits to those remaining,” Smith said.

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