All the action from the 2025 AHICE Aotearoa
Running from Tuesday August 12 to Wednesday August 13, the 2025 AHICE Aotearoa has already heard some major industry announcements, including the signing of Sheraton Christchurch, which will see the redevelopment of a landmark hotel in the city.
The Mayor of Christchurch, Phil Mauger, announced the project in his opening remarks at the conference.
“Many of you will remember the old Noah’s hotel, it really was a landmark of its time,” Mayor Mauger said.
“That iconic site will be revitalised and become a world-class destination… [it will] pay tribute to Christchurch’s past and look to the future in a modern, meaningful way.”
The Mayor described the development as major win for the city’s economy.
“It’s a win for business, for tourism and our city,” he said.
The Mayor also spoke about positive sentiment in New Zealand’s tourism sector, with Christchurch, in particular, showing strong growth.
“6.25 million passengers travelled through Christchurch Airport in 2024 financial year alone – that’s a 10% increase on the previous year (5.69 million) – and that’s a clear sign that Christchurch is gaining momentum, and as mayor, it has been a real highlight,” he said.
“We also know that on a national level, tourism is up, and our international visitor numbers are closing in on pre-Covid numbers, which is great. This has seen a boost into the hotel markets, particularly in Christchurch, but also in Queenstown and Rotorua.
“We know that Auckland will see improvements on next year’s opening of the New Zealand International Convention Centre.”
In the first presentation of the day, STR Regional Director – Asia Pacific ex China, Matthew Burke, revealed a mixed performance landscape for New Zealand’s hotel sector.
“Rate growth is slowing as, occupancy is increasingly seasonal, shaped by supply growth, soft economic conditions, and the gradual return of international visitors. The South Island is faring better than the North Island,” Burke said.
“Auckland is feeling the dual pressure of rising supply and slower demand growth. The convention centre will be a critical catalyst for new business, and our analysis shows sharp performance differences across the city’s zones.
“Christchurch continues to show resilience, with occupancy growth spread across the week. Forward bookings point to an April 2026 uplift, driven by the new stadium opening and the Supercars event.”
Hotel Council Aotearoa (HCA) Strategic Director, James Doolan, renewed calls for a national register of all Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) properties.
“When industry speaks with one voice, it’s time for councils and central government to act,” said Doolan.
“This isn’t about banning STRA, it’s about fairness, transparency and better data to help council decision-making around tourism and events.”
The initiative aims to ensure all STRA operators are known, accountable and subject to consistent standards.
“Rotorua has shown leadership by proactively identifying STRA properties,” Doolan said. “But a national register would provide a consistent, efficient baseline for every council in the country.”
Tuesday afternoon saw leaders from across the industry take to the stage for the Power Sessions – a series of quick-fire, 20-minute sessions ‘on the clock’ on key topics including hotel development, design, franchising and regional growth.
In the Developers’ Outlook, led by JLL’s Nick Thompson, panellists discussed the merits of modular builds, sustainable design, and regional opportunities.
In the franchising session, leaders from Accor, Ascott, Hilton and Trilogy Hotels shared an insight into their franchising strategy, the varying fee models, and their expectations for the New Zealand market.
Rising stars from Abstract Hotel Auckland, BWH Hotels and Sudima Christchurch Airport took to the stage to discuss their personal career development and leadership in the hotel industry.
Next up, was a dive into the new projects and development opportunities for key regional areas across Aotearoa, with leaders from Accor, Choice Hotels, EVT and Radisson Hotel Group discussing markets such as Christchurch, Rotorua, Queenstown and more.
In a session focused on hotel design, lifestyle hotels, food and beverage and design budgets were up for discussion, as well as the design of the new Sheraton Christchurch, led by Dalman Architects.
The final session on food and beverage discussed the power of partnerships, ethical and sustainable practices, as well as influence of technology and AI on the guest experience.
The evening concluded with a showstopping Gala Networking Event at Rydges Christchurch Latimer Square, presented by EVT, with spectacular food and beverage and playful activations. Day 2 saw the announcement that the conference will return in 2026 on August 11-12 at Te Pae Convention Centre Christchurch, with Tourism New Zealand as a major sponsor of the event.
Tourism New Zealand CEO René de Monchy expressed his support for the event and driving hotel investment across the nation.
“We’re really pleased the event is coming back next year, because I think it’s a really important one on the calendar,” he told delegates.
“Our role is really to continue to make people fall in love with New Zealand, grow desire, and especially accelerate that conversion of it.
“Through that, we hope that it becomes easier to invest. I know that New Zealand is not the easiest country to invest in, but we hope that our focus on really growing tourism and growing it well will make it that little bit easier for hotel investment in the future.”
Tourism New Zealand is also supporting AHICE South East Asia in 2026 with the aim of putting Aotearoa front and centre in the minds of key Asian investors.
The INN Tech Hotel Technology Summit kicked off Day 2 of AHICE Aotearoa on Wednesday with an hour of informative sessions covering the latest in hospitality innovation.
Enzyme Consulting Founder and CEO, Andrew Cameron, led a keynote presentation outlining hotel technology expectations for 2025 and beyond including the adoption of AI, robotics, and biotechnology.
INN Tech panel discussions featuring key leaders in tech, covered on-property technology and the latest in innovations in software.
Panellists emphasised the importance of integrating technology to enhance guest experiences, improve operational efficiency, and support sustainability targets, with calls for better data utilisation and a unified industry voice.
AHICE sessions recommenced with The Investors’ Outlook, presented by TFE Hotels, led by JLL’s Nick Thompson.
Sarin Investments Chief Executive Officer,Udai Sarin, discussed the introduction of non-traditional revenue streams to drive business, including alternative food and beverage options in its multi-use hotels, better positioning of retail space to capture the outside consumer, and innovative wellness offerings.
“We’ve been looking at wellness concepts which are outcome based – it could be medical, it could be recovery, a focus on sleep or the corporate traveller, and what they need from a home away from home,” he explained.
“We’ve also been looking at how we incorporate multi-use buildings, because that’s almost becoming a requirement for funders these days to have a retail component; so, all different ways to make an asset stack up.”
In a Hotelier Q&A, Accor’s Chief Operating Officer – Pacific, Adrian Williams, shared an optimistic outlook for the market, highlighting the importance of events in driving industry performance.
“I think the industry has a lot of a lot of appetite, there’s a lot of positivity, even though the numbers might not be there… what’s missing, though, is that support from government, from Council,” he said.
“Events will drive more investment and drive more positivity.” 
The Aotearoa General Managers’ Outlook, hosted by Hotel Council Aotearoa Advisor, Ronnie Ronalde, followed a similar theme, calling for greater support for the industry from the Mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown.
“The big problem that we all have is tourism has struggled. We need a levy. We need something to help promote our industry, and we need something that’s secure,” Ronale said.
“If the mayor keeps doing what he’s doing, it won’t be next year, it will be at least three years or four years down the track before we’ve got some funding.
“He really needs to start to work with us and start talking about a national levy.”
LyLo Managing Director, Tim Alpe, led a presentation on the rise of user-generated design and experiences in the New Zealand market, sharing the importance of feedback from customers in guiding direction, leading to improvements like privacy pods and better lighting.
In a panel session, View From the Top: The Leaders’ Expectations, leaders from Accor, BWH, Leisure Accommodation Collective and Wyndham discussed the New Zealand tourism industry’s outlook, noting positive outcomes in markets like Christchurch and Queenstown, but challenges in Auckland. They stressed the need for a unified industry voice in the market, referencing the evolution of Accommodation Australia, and the potential of further growth in regional markets.
A keynote presentation on sustainability in hospitality was led by Hind Management Chief Sustainability Officer, Kanika Jhunjhnuwala, who focused the session around “doing good business”, exploring the key principles of ESG and examples of ESG in action.
Jhunjhnuwala recommended hospitality businesses hire a dedicated sustainability officer to ensure that all departments are focused on meeting their goals.
“Sustainability is long-term thinking and connectedness,” Jhunjhnuwala shared.
“It’s about really thinking about how you can do things within your business and in your hotels that will help your staff, help your guests, help your reputation, also help the environment biodiversity – and also make money.”
Jhunjhnuwala answered audience questions on a range of sustainability issues.
In a Hotelier Q&A, IHG Hotels and Resorts Managing Director – Australasia and Pacific, Matthew Tripolone, spoke about green shoots in the Auckland market.
“We’ve opened four hotels there over the last two or three years, based off a lot of constraint in that market, and it’s been pretty challenging,” Tripolone said.
“But we’re seeing some really great shoots up there in Auckland specifically, I think back end of the year looks quite strong,” he added, referencing the importance of events and the opening of the international convention centre. 
Two hard-hitting hotel development sessions followed lunch, with leaders from the major international operators taking to the stage to discuss market performance, seasonal shifts, new-build vs conversion opportunities, segments primed for growth and more.
The Essential Human Resources Outlook discussed the power of diversity and inclusion for the industry, particularly the opportunity to employ people with disability and how greater accessibility can shape greater business outcomes.
An Aotearoa tourism outlook, hosted by NZ Hotel Holdings Chief Executive Officer, Marcus Reinders, highlighted market opportunities, particularly in Christchurch with the impact of the convention centre and a new stadium, which is nearing completion.
“The damage that was done to South Island tourism with Christchurch being off the map, I don’t think anybody quite realised it has been so significant to the entire island,” said Christchurch NZ, General Manager – Destination, Loren Aberhart.
“Now that we are back, not just as a gateway, but as a destination, we have the capacity to sustain quite considerable growth on behalf of the country, and that is really meaningful in terms of what that dispersal will do across not just South Island, but actually between Auckland and Christchurch as well. 
“Christchurch coming back on track actually represents a huge growth opportunity for the wider country, and it creates a really sustainable visitor economy for us, 2026 is going to be fantastic.”
Los Angeles-based musicianToby Rand, discussed his career in music and the importance of hotels supporting local and emerging artists.
The session on white-label growth was among the most popular of the day with key operators from across ANZ taking part. Capstone Hotel Management Managing Director, Clare Davies, had four new hotel signings to talk about, including two eco-lodges, an Atura hotel in Wellington and a new-build Marlborough property.
EVT Director of Hotels and Resorts, Norman Arundel, discussed growth in Asia and across the Pacific as well as plans for a bumper QT in Queenstown and efforts to maximise floor space across the network.
In the final session of the day, AHICE Group President James Wilkinson and Hotel Council Aotearoa Strategic Director James Doolan quizzed hotelier on their outlook for the year ahead, with a glass of wine in hand.
The conference closed with a farewell networking event at Te Pae, with Rand providing musical entertainment, before delegates continued the night at AHICE After Dark at Drifter Christchurch.