Criterion Hotel Napier

The first Criterion on this site opened in March 1874 and fell in the Hawke's Bay earthquake of February 1931. Its replacement, finished in 1932 and open to the public by Easter 1933, is a Spanish Mission building with Art Deco influences, designed by the local architect E. A. Williams and built by the contractor W. M. Angus. The hotel's own site calls itself four-star and places it in Napier's Art Deco district, with rooms restored in a 1930s style. Heritage New Zealand lists the building under number 1128.

The place

The address is 48 Emerson Street, in Napier South, in the part of the city rebuilt after the earthquake. The hotel's site lists Marine Parade among nearby attractions, and names the Hawke's Bay wineries as part of its surroundings, among them Mission Estate, Craggy Range and Church Road.

For a visitor on foot, the draw is the district itself: the Criterion belongs to the block of reconstruction-era buildings that gave Napier its identity.

The concept

The story starts with a consortium. After the 1931 earthquake, a group of local businessmen financed the new hotel to help restart the reconstruction of the town centre, and they chose an architect from Napier. E. A. Williams gave the exterior a Spanish Mission character, and the interior a Scottish Baronial foyer and lounge, an unusual pairing in a city better known for zigzag and sunburst motifs.

The original hotel dated from 1874, and the new one went up on the same site.

The hotel's website lists several room types: Superior Suite, Deluxe Suite with a king bed, an accessible Standard Suite, Deluxe Suite and an interconnecting Deluxe Suite, and mentions Moderne Queen rooms and Grand Suites. Its pricing page uses three tiers (Standard, Executive and President) and the descriptions there are still placeholder text.

Dining & wellness

Restaurant, coffee and spa and beauty services appear in the menu of the hotel's website, which publishes no menus, chef or opening hours.