Distinction New Plymouth Hotel

Distinction New Plymouth Hotel & Conference Centre is at 42 Powderham Street, in the heart of the New Plymouth CBD and about 15 minutes' drive from New Plymouth Airport. It trades as a 4-star hotel and is part of the New Zealand-owned Distinction Hotels group. The property was formerly the Grand Central Hotel, a lineage still reflected in the name of its GCR Restaurant.

The offer

The hotel has 60 air-conditioned guest rooms, suites and apartments. Many rooms feature a spa bath, and a number offer cooking facilities, which suits longer stays and delegates extending a trip. Guests have access to the hotel gym, complimentary car parking (limited spaces, subject to availability) and free unlimited WiFi.

Meeting and event capability

Conferencing is a core part of the offer — the hotel trades under the full name Distinction New Plymouth Hotel & Conference Centre. On-site business spaces include a banquet room and multiple meeting rooms of varying sizes, from a large main room down to a small breakout space suited to a handful of people. Published trade listings put the largest room at around 200 theatre style, with total venue capacity to roughly 225.

Because the conference centre and the 60 rooms sit in the same building, the property works as a self-contained residential conference venue: delegates can sleep, meet, break and dine without leaving the site or arranging transfers.

Food and beverage

GCR Restaurant is the hotel's in-house dining room, with a contemporary interior and a straightforward, hearty menu. It handles both hotel guests and conference catering.

Location

The CBD position puts the hotel on the doorstep of New Plymouth's restaurants, bars and attractions, so free-time and evening options for delegates are within walking distance rather than requiring a coach.

Suitability

Distinction New Plymouth is best suited to mid-sized residential conferences, association meetings, training courses, awards dinners and banquets. The combination of a dedicated conference centre, 60 rooms, in-house restaurant, on-site parking and a central location makes it one of the more practical single-site choices among New Plymouth venues for a multi-day programme.