la Resort Bought

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Els Chain

la Resort Bought Northern Hotels Ltd.

! purchase by Northern Hotels imited of the Beachcomber [otel, at Deuba, Fiji, in May, ioted with lively interest by the is organisations connected with ijian tourist traffic. ; Beachcomber has been con d by Mr. Hope Gibson (who it it from Mr. Barry Philp) as day resort, with various special stions: and as it is only 30 miles west of Suva, it was ible to parties of tourists based iiva —especially people off the cean liners who have only a d time to spend in the country.

Gibson showed enterprise in ig the hotel the centre of an tive holiday resort; but he it a full-time job—and his mtial Melbourne interests also upon his time. Hence his de to sell.

Hugh Ragg’s big company, ern Hotels Ltd., now owns and ;es the following: Lautoka Hotel, Lautoka.

Ba Hotel, Ba.

Hotel, Tavua (leased, not owned). 1 Raki Hotel, Raki Raki.

Nadi Hotel, Nadi.

Sigatoka Hotel, Sigatoka. korolevu Hotel, Korolevu. eachcomber Hotel, Deuba understood that, if and when !lub Hotel (otherwise called >uth Seas Hotel) is completed /a, it will be taken over and ed by Northern Hotels Limited, will give the Company an ; complete chain in the main of Viti Levu. first six hotels named above irimarily commercial hotels, service to the districts in they are situated; but under direction they have been ed also as tourist hotels, with ties required by that class of , which is growing steadily.

Korolevu Hotel, opened some years ago, was planned •ily for the tourist traffic; and has become the most famous y resort in the South Pacific, nds on a lovely bay, in a il setting, on the South Coast, 65 miles from Suva, and 20 from Sigatoka. ba is about half-way between

Suva and Korolevu. It, also, serves no town or community, and is run as a lagoon-side holiday resort on the attractive South Coast, and within easy motoring distance of the capital.

The original licence for a hotel in that area was held by Mr. J B.

Bayly; it was purchased by the Philp brothers and the new Deuba Hotel built about 1950-51. Extra accommodation was added later when a film company chose that area to shoot the film, His Majesty O’Keefe.

Max Lovell In Charge

Northern Hotels Ltd. took over the Beachcomber Hotel at Deuba on June 1, and immediately com menced a programme of improve

ments, including new kitchens and renovation of grounds and gardens.

Mr. Max Lovell (formerly manager of the Nadi Hotel, who has been away on leave, has taken charge of the Beachcomber. At present, it is intended that he shall be the manager of the new Club Hotel in Suva, when the building is com pleted. t Customs receipts for the first quarter of 1957 constitute a record in New Caledonia. Total is nearly 202 million fcs. (£1,414,000). This represents nearly twice the sum of the corresponding period last year.

It is expected that receipts will continue at the same rate for the remainder of the year.