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.