5 minute read
Rezz’s 100-Year Vision
Rezz Hotel
WORDS: LUCY BREWER
It was 1966 when Fred and Lorna Hamood purchased the old Reservoir Hotel. The couple, who shared a history as hoteliers, knocked down the original building and built a larger, more modern hotel in its place, which they ran for a number of years.
After Fred and Lorna released the reins, the hotel was leased to various owners until the time came for the Hamood family to return to its helm. As of 2009, Rezz has been owned and operated by the Hamoods: Richard and Rana, and Fred and Sue-Anne.
This year, the “New Rezz” was unveiled, in a $7 million redevelopment Richard calls “part of a 100-year plan.”
“The old hotel was underdeveloped as far as the resources of the land, and had an old building,” he said.
“I think it had lost its identity. It wasn’t relevant to the current marketplace.”
The redevelopment was managed by Studio Nine Architects and Pascale Construction, a partnership Richard says will continue as the rest of the plan unfolds. He calls the new building “a cross between a hotel, a café and a resort.”
Rezz has three main areas:
• Café - a casual dining space with an indoor kids play space “Kids Zone”, outdoor terraces and lawns.
• Z Cocktail Bar and Restaurant - ideal for a sit-down meal, wine, cocktails and gins
• Sports Bar - with 16 local and imported beers on tap
• Plus the latest addition to the space, Business Pods, a small workspace outside the office or home.
The fit-out is light and bright, and brickwork features heavily. The ceilings are high, and the kitchen is open.
Perhaps the most unique design element is an expansive circular area where the main bar is situated, which Richard refers to as the “piazza” or the “promenade”.
“We always wanted to create this place where people could meet, and the best feeling I got for that was a piazza or promenade,” he said.
“You go to Europe, in particular Italy, and the piazza is really the centre. It’s the heartbeat of the town.
“We wanted to create that outside feel, inside.”
Richard’s commitment to Rezz being a place for the community echoes the old Reservoir Hotel, which serviced workers from the nearby reservoir.
“The demographic is broad because the offer - and the target market - changes depending on what time of day it is,” he said.
“The restaurant in the morning is aimed at business groups, then there’s the lunchtime trade, and in the evening you might have functions.
“After that, it becomes the spill-out room for people who want to go to the Z Bar and have a nice cocktail or a gin or something like that.”
The Hamoods also wanted Rezz to appeal to patrons with an appreciation for quality food.
“We’ve got the provedore when you enter the building, and that starts the food journey,” said Richard.
“People see the great food that’s on offer, with the cured meats and the antipasto platters, then they see the spectacular pizza oven and the Spanish churros fryer, the chargrilled steaks being cooked, the great coffee, and the kitchen, which is open … people come knowing they’re in for a really great food experience that’s affordable.”
Rezz is staffed entirely by members of the local community and the Hamoods want it to be a desirable place to work.
“The kitchen is designed so that the staff aren’t hidden behind four walls, so they had to be working in a really nice environment.
“The customer appreciates the staff in the kitchen because they can see how hard they’re working, they can see that this is a genuine food outlet.
“I hope we’ve been able to create that.”
The 100-year plan, which Richard says is not just for the Hamoods, but for the whole community, has a number of stages. Stage two is the relocation of the bottle shop so it can be seen by passing traffic. Stage three features another ambitious build.
“In the next 18 months, we’ll commence work on a 300-person function centre on top of the existing building. That will complement Thorndon Park across the road,” he said.
“The stage after that, we’ll look back at our original plan to build 80 rooms of accommodation.”
Thus far, the locals have embraced this latest iteration of Rezz and if all goes to plan, the community will come together at Rezz for many, many years to come.
