After Nearly 100 Years, Chateau Tongariro Hotel Is Closing

Nestled at the base of Mount Ruapehu in the Tongariro National Park, the Chateau Tongariro is an iconic and longstanding New Zealand landmark. It will close permanently from February 5, according to a message on its website. “Thank you for the memories”, it reads.

The hotel, which was built in 1929, is closing following a seismic assessment that found it no longer meets modern safety standards, according to reports in several news outlets, including RNZ.

Dwarfed by the mountains that rise above it, Chateau Tongariro “is a work of kauri carpentry and prisoner’s brick that could just as easily be a Californian Gothic Revival castle,” we wrote in 2021. It’s right in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tongariro National Park, home to three sacred, towering volcanoes – Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe.

It has historically been a popular wedding destination, and a scenic stop-off for those on a tramping trip or skiing at nearby Whakapapa.

Kevin Peeris, senior vice-president of Singapore-based Bayview International, the Chateau’s parent company, told RNZ that there had been initial plans to “invest in its long-term future”, but the closure was going ahead due to the cost involved in rectification works in addition to other factors. Among them, the voluntary administration of the nearby Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, a poor snow season and reduced tourism in the wake of the pandemic.

Late last year the Chateau made headlines when the Herald reported there was an ongoing government investigation into alleged staff mistreatment, including labour law abuses, at the venue.