Flood-ridden Napier fears an accommodation crisis will take hold this summer, as hotels shut for repairs and the social housing waiting list shows no signs of slowing down.
The Scenic Hotel Te Pania will be shut until at least the end of February due to flood repairs, putting a dampener on the summer season and Art Deco weekend. Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
A holiday park in the city had to cancel nearly 1000 bookings because flood victims had nowhere else to go.
The Scenic Hotel Te Pania, on the city's waterfront, will be shut until at least the end of February.
General manager Kerryann Gibbs said there was immense damage on the ground floor.
"The reception desk needs to be rebuilt, the bar needs to be rebuilt, all the floor coverings have to be done, we had bespoke carpet so that's had to be brought back in," Gibbs said.
"The whole lobby tiles need to be removed and re-laid and obviously this all takes time and it's right on Christmas, when all the tradies that have worked so hard were looking forward to having a holiday."
On the day of the floods, hotel staff had left their gumboots at home so were instead walking around in calf-deep water with bare feet.
The closure meant there could not be guests at the busiest time of year, including the city's famed Art Deco weekend in mid-February.
But Gibbs said closing her 109 rooms was the only option.
"When we spoke with the construction crew, they're also really busy with the rest of Napier, because there's so much damage and the best that they could do was the first week in March.
"We decided to get right on the phones and ring all of our valued guests and let them know, because as much as we're gutted, we're gutted for our guests."
Further away from the ocean, Kennedy Park Resort, a council-run holiday park, had to cancel 943 bookings over the summer because flood victims could not go anywhere else.
The Napier City Council's Kennedy Park resort has had to cancel almost 1000 bookings because it has so many flood victims living there. Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
The council would not let the park manager speak to RNZ, but a council spokesperson did provide some information.
There are 70 units set aside for flood-affected residents who cannot stay anywhere else and 58 are occupied.
This pressure is compounded with more than 700 people on the social housing waitlist - many of them are staying in accommodation that would otherwise be for tourists.
Mayor Kirsten Wise said it was an ongoing problem.
"The reality is here in Napier that our accommodation through the summer months is always under pressure. Historically, we've identified that we do need actually do need some additional accommodation providers here. The biggest pressure at the moment is actually the emergency housing."
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is managing accommodation for flood victims.
Its staff have got something that might ease the pressure - principal engagement adviser Julia Shanahan said temporary accommodation would be available from next week so people could live back on their properties.
"At this stage, we have nine portable cabins that are earmarked for private sites in Napier. They're at various stages of being occupied so once they're placed here then they have to be connected up to services and then they'll be ready for people to move in."
Hawke's Bay Tourism chief executive Hamish Saxton said despite the challenges, he was optimistic there would be some capacity.
"Some of our visitors are unfortunately having to make alternative arrangements to stay in the region. However, our region always manages to cope and absorb visitors."
He said the i-site network can help tourists try and find a place to stay.
