The Sebel Hotel, Manukau

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There’s a saying that retail is detail: it applies equally to hotels. We laid carefully-detailed foundations that set the scene for the success of this well-established hospitality brand.

In 2012, the year this project was born, 2.6m tourists visited New Zealand. Five years later that figure has grown over 40% to 3.7m and market commentators predict a shortage of Auckland hotel rooms as tourist numbers continue to rise .

When Rayland Enterprises first considered developing a hotel in Manukau they couldn’t have predicted tourism’s dramatic growth. But they knew this central site – within easy reach of Rainbow’s End theme park, the Vodafone Events Centre, and the Vector Wero Whitewater Park – was an excellent location for an apartment hotel. We worked with Rayland on facade-changes to the original plans and project-managed construction of the six floor, 6,800 sq metre building.

And when AccorHotels signed a deal to operate the hotel under The Sebel brand we focused on creating high-quality interiors where guests could feel at home – a key feature of the brand experience.

The scheme uses splashes of accent colours – the teal and aqua of Manukau harbour – over a neutral base and glints of brushed brass add a touch of luxury. Every detail adds to the whole: rooms have cleverly-detailed joinery and we commissioned artworks for the bedrooms and selected black-and-white photographs of rural life for the corridors. No look-at-me features or blandly corporate beige; just thoughtful detailing that whispers of home-like comforts.

Professionals used in
The Sebel Hotel, Manukau

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We’re a passionate team of urban designers, landscape architects, architects, interior designers, digital experts, and sustainability advocates. Our wide range of disciplines allows us to approach projects from multiple perspectives.

Our goal is simple, to help people live better lives – at home, in the workplace and when they’re out and about. With a focus on sustainability, we create future-proofed buildings and communities in context with their environments.

We exist to design for life.