The latest asset in the growing portfolio of Māori economic powerhouse Waikato-Tainui – a five-star luxury hotel at Auckland Airport – is opening today.
Built for $200 million and a 50:50 joint venture between Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) and Auckland Airport, Te Arikinui Pullman is named after Kīngi Tūheitia's late mother, and caps another busy year for the iwi.
The tribe’s commercial superhub in Hamilton is growing, with Kmart setting up a national distribution centre. Logistics and an inland port are also a significant part of that development.
Waikato-Tainui is a $2 billion iwi on track to distribute more than $30 million to tribal members this year, and is one of the pacemakers of the Māori economy.
Asked if it was Aoteraoa’s richest tribe, Tainui Group Holdings’ Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’ua said: “We’re probably on a par with Ngāi Tahu.”
The tribe is focused on growing inter-generational wealth for its people.
“Waikato-Tainui has just over 86,000 members and that number is growing,” Raumati-Tu’ua said.
As concerns grow about the new coalition Government’s approach to Māori issues, tribal leader Tuku Morgan said his people would prove to be agile.
“We have to deal with what the Government throws at us, [it] doesn’t matter if they are going to roll back policies and legislation.
“The think with Māori is that we are a resilient people. We will survive. We’ve survived colonisation, we’ve survived land confiscation, so this is a tangible symbol or who we are as people.
"We don’t go quietly.”
The new hotel iis located where the Tainui waka made landfall many generations ago – the harbour can be seen from the ninth floor.
“You get that feeling like a bit like this is home,” Raumati-Tu’ua said.
The hotel will be operated by Accor Pacific.
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