Rich Canadian's Plans

More Hotels in South Seas

Rich Canadian's Plans Arouse Some Interest

Out of the blue, there has come a development which may assist considerably in solving the tourist accommodation problem in Fiji, to which many references have been made in recent years.

FIJI believes it can materially in crease its revenue from tourism, if there were more suitable ictels in Fiji, and especially in Suva.

Fiji in this respect has been handi apped by the ever-mounting costs f hotel construction—now so high s to make the profitable operation f new tourist hotels a difficult latter.

A Canadian group, headed by Mr.

F. Rehnborg, apparently has de eded to enter into the tourist hotel asiness in the South Pacific Islands, [r. Rehnborg and his associates in sry recent weeks have: • Purchased the well known Les ropiques Hotel, which is delight illy situated on the lagoon-side at le western end of Papeete. • Interviewed the directors of the nion SS Cos. of New Zealand Ltd. furtherance of a plan that they lould purchase the Grand Pacific otel, in Suva. • Purchased a block of land on e Suva waterfront, adjoining the rand Pacific Hotel, and announced at, if purchase by them of the rand Pacific Hotel is not practic ile, they will establish another st-class hotel there. • Examined the possibilities of tablishing first-class tourist hotels Western Samoa, Eastern Samoa and elsewhere in the South Seas.

Meanwhile, other activities have en reported.

Associated with Mr. Rehnborg are )ssrs. Fletcher C. Kettle and dolphe J. A. de Seife. They have pstered a company called South as Enterprises Ltd., capital 1,500,000 liars. rhe three men left Suva on nuary 23, in Sir Gordon Taylor’s rmuda flying-boat, to inspect pos le hotel sites in Aitutaki, Raro iga, Western Samoa and Tahiti, ey now have returned to Canada, tfr. Rehnborg founded and is the id of a successful North American poration called Nutrilite Products ’• of California, which specialises the preparation and distribution foodstuffs, especially fruit and stable extracts.

First Class Hotel ’he well known company, Northern tels Limited, of Fiji, which owns 3 operates a chain of hotels in i, including the well known rolevu resort (a) has taken ir the bar section of the very

modern Club Hotel (now being erected at the corner of Victoria Parade and Gordon Street, Suva by Morris Hedstrom Ltd.) and (b) plans the construction of anew first-class hotel in the Waimanu Road area—on the low hill behind Suva city, near the hospital.

It is announced also that another well known Fiji hotel-owner Mr Barry Philp, is planning the con struction of a hotel at Namaka on a hill overlooking the Nadi Inter national Airport T . . , , it is presumed that, as a result oi the reconstruction of Nadi air port (decided upon lately by the in ternational authority controlling the main air routes of the South Pacific) the Mocambo Hotel at Nadi (now conducted by Mr. Philp) will be

done away with; so that a first ciass hotel will be needed near the international airport.

It is suggested that South Seas Enterprises Ltd. will co-operate with Mr. Philp.

Many people, talking much hot air, have been in the South Pacific Islands in recent years, discussing hotel plans. South Pacific people therefore are somewhat wary of accepting new stories about hotel construction.

However, the history and back ground of Mr. Rehnborg suggest that he may provide Fiji and the South Seas generally with what they really need—more first-class hotels.

"Attractive Type"

Mr. Rehnborg is descriped as an attractive type of elderly Canadian who has made a lot of money out of his food manufacturing business, which he personally developed by initiative and enterprise. Some time ago he holidayed in Tahiti and Samoa, and became interested in tourist possibilities. Then he bought Les Tropiques in Papeete and de veloped his plan for a chain of South Pacific hotels.

Mr. Rehnborg also has been mak ing an analysis of the various useful

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(s which may be derived from coconut palm. It was through same sort of initiative that he oped the additive s —from fa and spinach and parsley— h made his manufactured food s famous. pressed with South Pacific bilities, Mr. Rehnborg got into i with various business associ and invited them to join him is South Seas hotel enterprise.

Id them frankly that he did not : that for some time they would r much profit—that the profits i have to be ploughed back for opment—but that eventually company could become very table. He made the point that plan would fit in with the nt American idea of exporting al for development overseas, rt of the plan is that local is to supervise the hotels will et up in each Territory and, ips, local capital invited to par ite. But it clearly is the wish e promoters that America shall tain overall direction, is reported from Suva that very dly relations have been estab i between Mr. Rehnborg and lugh Ragg (head of Northern

Hotels Ltd.) and with Mr. Barry Philp, who has been planning de velopments at Nadi.

More Amenities for Garrick Hotel

As part of hotel re-organisation and improvement, now going on in Fiji, the large and well known Garrick Hotel, owned and con ducted by Mr. Vince Costello, is get ting a face-lift. The Garrick is right in the middle of the business section of Suva, and much of its lower floor, not occupied by the bar, has been hitherto let profitably as shops.

Mr. Costello now is inducing his

tenants to find shops elsewhere, and the area thus cleared is to be con verted in a large lounge and beer garden, on modern lines. Only beer will be served, so the new amenities will be available to Indians and Fijians, against whom all restrictions (in relation to beer-drinking) were removed as from February 1.

The bar section of the Club Hotel (now under construction) was formally opened for business on February 1 by Mr. Max Lovell, one of Northern Hotel Ltd.’s managers.

Mr. Lovell formerly was manager for Northern at Nadi, and he lately has had charge of the hotel at Deuba, after Northern Hotels Ltd. bought it.