Hagaman flies high

By Chris Hutching

Friday 20th February 2004 1 Comment

The chairman and founder of the only New Zealand-owned hotel chain has treated himself to a new airplane on the back of another bumper year for Scenic Circle Hotels.

Earl Hagaman was expecting delivery of the new airplane being ferried from the US any day.

He said he may fly it to the Warbirds over Wanaka show in a couple of weeks to try it out, en route to dropping in on staff at one of the many hotels he owns and manages with his fifth wife and fellow director, Lani.

Scenic Circle Hotels delivered another record year with sales and volumes up 15% despite many businesses complaining about the potential economic fallout from New Zealand's high currency.

The high dollar hasn't affected Scenic Circle, which is reporting business is up across all sectors including corporate, tour groups, and free independent travellers.

Part of the reason may also be the company's marketing network with wholesale agents making long-term commitments up to two years ahead on tariff quotes from Scenic Circle.

Meanwhile, on March 1 Mr Hagaman will open the latest addition to his empire the new $15 million Dunedin City Hotel which opens for business.

It complements Scenic Circle's other Dunedin investments, the Southern Cross Hotel and highly profitable Dunedin Casino.

Building has also finally begun on Scenic Circle's new Kaikoura Hotel, Te Kaikoura.

As with some other Scenic Circle-managed hotels such as the Aurum at Queenstown, the company is also selling some of the strata titled units to investors.

Mr Hagaman said the project had been delayed by bureaucratic resource consent requirements (a neighbour objected).

He said it was decades since anyone had built a hotel at Kaikoura and if anyone else tried to do so "the bureaucratic land mines would delay completion for many years."

Comments from our readers

On 2 January 2011 at 4:39 pm Les said:

those companies not performing as well need to find the recipe that the Hagamans have and have maintained for the long haul.