Hotels Position In

Fiji

Tourist Industry Wants More Accommodation in Suva

SUVA, facing the opening of a new and very promising tourist season, with a Royal visit in the following December, remains des perately short of hotel accommoda tion. The five licensed houses available (McDonald’s was wrecked by the 1952 hurricane) even now cannot house all travellers, and they have to fight continuously to keep house-hungry Suva residents from settling in on them as “perm anents.”

Messrs. Morris Hedstrom, Ltd., some time ago, began to construct the foundations for their proposed 5-storeyed building (shops, offices and modern hotel) facing Victoria Parade. This is no light job—in this area the piers must go down to find the solids.

Rumours were circulating in Auckland and Sydney, in early May, that MH Ltd., appalled by the growing difficulties of assembling material and builders, had decided to cease building when two storeys (shops and offices) had been erec ted, thus abandoning the hotel plan. The PIM cabled Suva for any authoritative comment on these reports. The Managing Director of Morris Hedstrom Ltd. (Mr. H. E.

Snell) replied; “Rumours without foundation.”

Future Of “Mcdonalds”

The hurricane-devastated area, facing the western end of Victoria Parade, in which McDonald’s Hotel was situated, is owned by Burns Philp and associated interests.

The latter have been giving much thought, in recent months, to the question of rebuilding this section, including a modern hotel structure to take over the McDonald’s Hotel license. Funds are available; but the cautious BP people will not commit themselves to a programme which might easily involve £500,- 000, unless they can get some firm quotations in relation to building operations. A visit to Sydney in early May, by Mr. Les Martin, a partner in Messrs. Pearce and Martin, is believed to be connected with plans for a new McDonald’s Hotel.

The chain of Fijian country hotels owned by Northern Hotels Ltd. has been extended lately; and there are new and well-conducted hotels at places like Deuba and Tayua. But those who hope to see Fiji enjoying tourist revenues running into * seven figures will not be happy until those new Suva hotels take definite and final shape.