Quest Apartment Hotels has confirmed it will open seven new properties in New Zealand between June 2021 and July 2022 as faith in the Trans-Tasman travel bubble continues to grow.

Located across the North and South Island in metropolitan, regional, and suburban locations – Mt Eden, Queenstown, Cambridge Terrace in Christchurch, Lambton Quay, Mt Maunganui and Hastings – the new sites will take the existing New Zealand portfolio to 42 and 177 globally.

All the new properties have been pre-sold to franchise operators, with a waitlist of investors for future opportunities.

Quest Apartment Hotels New Zealand chief executive Stephen Mansfield said the brand’s hotels remain a popular choice among professionals travelling domestically for work, with the business managing to stay strong despite COVD-19 obstacles.

“With the impact of COVID on the accommodation sector of New Zealand, the Quest network has performed particularly well, with a year ending network-wide occupancy per cent average of 65 per cent – and with no facilities within the MIQ program,” he said.

“This result has only served to reinforce Quest’s priority strategy, which is putting facilities in locations with appropriate amenity and pricing targeted to meet the needs and expectations of the domestic New Zealand market place, including the government and business traveller, and also meeting their needs when travelling for personal reasons.”

Quest first came onto the New Zealand market in 1998 and is now the largest single hotel brand in the country.

In Australia, Quest has a further nine agreements for lease signed, with construction due to commence in next 12 months, totalling 715 rooms.

“It might seem counterintuitive to be signing deals and opening hotels on the back of such a painstaking year in 2020 and with a long road to full recovery ahead, but our locations are selected on the premise of clear market demand and fixed economic drivers, so quality accommodation is a requisite and one we’re fit to deliver on,” he said.