Carlin Hotel sold to major creditor

The receivers of the Queenstown Carlin Hotel have sold the business (Carlin Hotel Property Management Limited, renamed Ex CHPML Limited,) to an Australian secured creditor owed $8.4 million.

The creditor, Pablo (Aust) Pty Ltd, paid an undisclosed sum for the business that the receivers say will be revealed in their next statutory report (May 2025).

The receivers, BDO Christchurch, say in their current report that the hotel will continue trading and existing hotel staff will stay on with the new owner.

Unsecured creditors are owed $2.1 million, the IRD over $300,000 and fees to the receivers have so far totalled $356,000.

BDO say the only asset not sold is a motor vehicle which will be "sold separately via an independent sales process."

A Carlin Hotel vehicle in not included in the sale, but wil be sold separately.

Crux has previously reported that the business owed $45 million. In March 2023, Mr Carlin put the property on the market but did not sell it.

Mr Carlin died at the hotel, where he lived, in December 2023 in what appeared to be unusual circumstances. 

His death was referred to the coroner, who decided not to open an inquiry into it.

In a written decision in July this year, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame said a post-mortem examination has confirmed Mr Carlin died as a result of hypertensive heart disease.

The coroner also says police have confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances relating to the death.

However the ruling confirms Mr Carlin was not seen by anyone for two days prior to being found dead.