[?]Oumea's Chateau

[?].S. Interest In

[?]Oyale Hotel

From Fred Dunn in Noumea

The palatial Chateau Royale

otel at Anse Vata Beach,

Dumea, which has generally

:en more or less empty of tests ever since it was opened year or so ago, may be taken 'er by Pan American World

irways.

T a meeting of creditors in Noumea at the beginning of arch, it was announced that, fol ding discussions with Pan Am’s esident. Mr. Juan Trippe, in Dumea in February, negotiations d been carried on in Paris.

PanAm, at that stage, was pre red to advance 22 million Pacific mcs ($A220,000) to keep the hotel oat, and to put in two experts to Ip run it.

Later, PanAm would study the ssibility of taking the hotel over renting it or running it in con iction with the present manage ;nt.

Some of the creditors at the meet l expressed disappointment that the ench airline UTA had not taken 3re interest in the hotel, although made a proposal to run it.

The meeting was told that if UTA ;re prepared to counter Pan Am’s :er, it should have priority as it was sirable that the hotel should re am in French hands.

The meeting was also told that an astralian chain of hotels and motels as interested in the hotel.

If PanAm should take over the nning of the hotel, it would un •ubtedly use its own airline to ing tourists to New Caledonia to ay in it.

PanAm already has commercial air »hts for New Caledonia.

N line with rapid developments in the local tourist industry. Hertz ntal cars are now available in pia.

The largest taxi company in estern Samoa, Gold Star Transport has been made Hertz licensee.