Hind Management has been appointed to operate Sudima Wānaka and manage the residences at Mount Iron Wānaka, a NZ$180 million integrated hotel and residential resort being developed by KR Capital, the development and investment division of Kirk Roberts.
Sudima Wānaka will be Wānaka’s first significant new hotel since 1986, adding 136 full-service rooms to a town whose hotel offering hasn’t kept pace with its growth. The 1.87-hectare site will also include 72 Mount Iron Living residences, a mix of townhouses and apartments. It marks Hind Management’s first move into residential management alongside its hotel operations.
Construction of the development is expected to begin in 2027, with the hotel planned to open in autumn 2029.
Building on a successful partnership
The appointment builds on Hind Management's partnership with Kirk Roberts at Sudima Kaikōura, which the two companies developed together, and which Hind has operated since it opened in 2022.
Under a long-term management agreement, Hind Management will operate the new hotel under its Sudima Hotels brand and manage the residences and shared resort facilities.
Hind Management Founder and Chief Executive Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala ONZM says the appointment reflects the group's long-term commitment to regional tourism growth and its expanding operating capabilities.
"For the first time, we’ll manage residences alongside a hotel, so hotel guests and residents will enjoy the same high standard of service across the whole resort. It also gives developers a single operating partner across a mixed-use development. It’s a model we see real potential for with other developers and owners across New Zealand and beyond."
– Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala, Founder and Chief Executive, Hind Management
Supporting Wānaka's growing visitor economy
Sudima Wānaka will offer a restaurant and bar, conference facilities and a range of shared leisure and wellness amenities, including a heated swimming pool, plunge pools, sauna, gym, pickleball and half basketball court. These are all connected by the Ridgeline, an elevated landscaped walkway through the heart of the resort.
The hotel is expected to create approximately 80 full-time and part-time roles, with local recruitment a priority.
Hind Management will be involved throughout the design and pre-opening stages, drawing on more than 25 years of hotel ownership and operating experience.
The appointment strengthens Hind Management's South Island presence and its ability to partner with developers across hotel and mixed-use projects.
"Wānaka is a natural fit for us. Wānaka has grown significantly, but its hotel offering hasn’t kept pace. It’s one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing visitor destinations, with year-round appeal for domestic and international travellers, and complements our South Island portfolio in Queenstown, Kaikōura and Christchurch."
– Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala, Founder and Chief Executive, Hind Management
