Eichardt's Hotel facts for kids
Eichardt‘s Private Hotel is a special place located right on the edge of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand. It sits at the corner of Marine Parade and Ballarat Street. This hotel is a very important landmark in the area. It's even listed as a historic place by Heritage New Zealand, meaning it has a lot of history!
History of Eichardt's Hotel
The story of Eichardt's Hotel began with William Gilbert Rees. He was one of the first Europeans to settle near Queenstown. In 1859, he arrived at Lake Wakatipu. He was looking for land to raise sheep. Rees built a large hotel and a home. He also built a woolshed where Eichardt's Hotel stands today.
In 1862, something big happened. Gold was found in the nearby Shotover River! This started a huge gold rush. Suddenly, Rees's quiet sheep station was full of people. His home became an official goldfield. The main part of Queenstown grew up around his station. Rees was smart and quickly changed his business. He turned his woolshed into a hotel. He added a wooden front and called it the Queen's Arms.
In 1866, Rees partnered with Albert Eichardt. By 1869, Albert Eichardt owned the hotel completely. He renamed it Eichardt's Queen's Arms Hotel. Later, it became simply Eichardt's Hotel.
In November 1999, Queenstown had big floods. The Eichardt's building was badly damaged. After the floods, the owners worked hard to fix and update the hotel. They wanted to make it a fancy, small luxury hotel.
Eichardt's Private Hotel reopened in December 2001. Today, it is part of a group called Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Andrew and Sarah Cox from Melbourne own the hotel. James Cavanagh is the General Manager. The hotel is also part of the special Virtuoso network. It has been recommended by Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report since 2002.
