CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND Three Millennium & Copthorne Hotels in central Christchurch have sustained significant damage due to Monday’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake.
Initial reports from local media said that one of hte hotels had collapsed. Peter Krijgsman, a London-based spokesman for M&C, tells HOTELS that the report is incorrect. “What that means from a point of view of whether they’re structurally sound or not is another question,” Krijgsman says.
All guests and staff at the three hotels—Millennium Hotel Christchurch, Copthorne Hotel Christchurch City and Copthorne Hotel Christchurch Central—are believed to have been safely evacuated, according to a company statement.
The websites for two of the hotels currently list the following statement: “Due to the state of emergency in Christchurch city CBD, we are currently unable to accommodate guests at this hotel.” The third property, Copthorne Hotel Christchurch City, is closed for renovation and had been scheduled to reopen next week.
The company says it is too early to determine the extent of the damage. “Cordons have been put in place around the city center and we are investigating what we can do for our guests, together with Civil Defence. Our thoughts are with our guests and staff at this difficult time.”
A fourth hotel in the area, Copthorne Hotel Commodore Christchurch Airport, has not been damaged and remains open.
