A landmark lodge and motel in the heart of a top North Island outdoor adventure playground has gone up for sale with potential to further grow the business.

Nestled with alpine views beside State Highway 4, just outside National Park village, Mountain Heights Lodge has pride of place between Tongariro and Whanganui national parks.

It is a popular base for visitors pursuing snow sports on Mt Ruapehu, busy cycling and hiking tracks including the world-famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and kayaking and rafting adventures on the Whanganui River.

The established business enjoys occupancy rates exceeding pre-Covid levels in an area that is fast evolving as New Zealand’s next big year-round visitor destination.

Now offered to buyers as a freehold going concern, Mountain Heights encompasses a cosy main lodge with four bed-and-breakfast rooms and private owners’ quarters, plus six self-contained motel units. An existing resource consent gives growth-seeking new owners the option to add three more buildings.

Bayleys Ruapehu salesperson Antony Greenfield said the sale offered buyers a unique chance to live and do business in a beautiful location.

“Mountain Heights Lodge beckons its next custodian to embrace the serene surroundings and lifestyle on offer and the chance to welcome guests to this scenic and growing visitor destination in the heart of the North Island.

“The lodge is fully equipped, and is a long-established, integral part of the visitor scene. The business is ready for the new owner to open the doors and take over,” Greenfield said.

The freehold land, buildings and business behind Mountain Heights Lodge, located at 4576 State Highway 4, National Park, are being offered for sale by negotiation through Greenfield and Bayleys colleague Amie Rowan.

The rustic-style, timber-clad main lodge building is home to four private, cosy bed-and-breakfast rooms, all with ensuites plus a TV and kettle. It also contains a spacious communal lounge with a log fire, plus a commercial kitchen, along with the owner’s private three-bedroom living quarters. There is also a separate spa room.

Greenfield said there was the potential to expand guest capacity by converting an existing storage space into an additional bed-and-breakfast room.

The six motel units, each self-contained with a kitchenette and private bathroom, are housed across two separate blocks. Five of these units can sleep four guests, with the sixth sleeping five. Each motel unit is equipped with beds and dining furniture, plus a TV and fridge, along with a mini oven in five of the units and a larger one in the other. Heaters, cutlery and dinnerware, and a kettle are also provided.

“The current owners have continued to invest in these assets and all units have been recently modernised to a high standard,” said Greenfield.

The three buildings have Initial Evaluation Procedure seismic ratings of 70-100 percent of new building standard, with the main lodge building rated at 100 percent.

The buildings sit on more than 2.1 hectares of rural-zoned freehold land with onsite parking for 12 vehicles.

Rowan said the lodge enjoyed good occupancy across seasons in an increasingly popular destination.

“The Ruapehu area is renowned as the outdoor adventure capital of the North Island. With winter bringing in skiers and snow boarders and the warmer months bringing hikers, cyclists and river adventurers, there are always people wanting accommodation.

“The rise in visitor numbers since Covid has been steady and it is looking like it will continue that way. This bodes well for ongoing business growth at Mountain Heights, whose guest occupancy has already surpassed the levels seen pre-Covid,” Rowan said.

Detailed information on business performance is available to potential buyers upon signing a non-disclosure agreement.

Rowan said demand for accommodation in the area was underpinned by an estimated 500,000 visitors annually to Mt Ruapehu, which now boasts the all-seasons attraction of the Sky Waka gondola.

“The Tongariro Alpine Crossing – the country’s most popular Great Walk and rated among the world’s best day hikes – brings in 120,000 hikers a year and there are more than 20,000 walking and cycle trips on the nearby Mountains to Sea trail. The Marton Sash and Door cycle track runs to the rear of the property.

“The area’s impressive pulling power is further bolstered by a lively calendar of local events,” Rowan said.

Click here for more information on the listing.