A very warm, southern welcome to you and thank you for choosing to stay at the Ascot Park Hotel.
This business is owned and operated by ILT, a community owned organisation, and is run by Bryan Townley and the team who are also delighted to welcome you.
ILT owns 24 hospitality businesses including hotels, motels, bars, conference facilities, restaurants, liquor stores, neighbourhood taverns and an out-catering arm. We employ around 700 people and by using a combination of trading profit and income generated from gaming machines located in our various businesses, give back to the community regularly via grants, donations and sponsorships. We also endeavour to purchase most of goods and services through local suppliers.
Over recent years ILT has been able to return over $8 million per year to our local community of approximately 50,000 people. Invercargill is the envy of a great many other provincial cities because of the facilities and infrastructure that has been built as a result of this community funding and some excellent examples are ILT Stadium Southland, SIT Velodrome and our local pool, Splash Palace.
So while you won't find liquor for sale in our supermarkets, you will find thriving community groups, world class facilities, a burgeoning arts' culture, scholarships across tertiary education, trades, arts and sport, and high quality hospitality businesses.
The Invercargill community voted for our trust system back in 1944 following a 39 year era of prohibition. We were given three mandates at that time: firstly to provide quality hospitality businesses, secondly to operate those businesses in the interest of public wellbeing, and thirdly to distribute our profits back to the community by way of grants and donations. 75 years later we are proud to be still delivering on these goals.
ILT exists mo to tatou hapori (for our community) with our ultimate aim being a vibrant Invercargill and we thank you for helping us to achieve that.
Sustainability and Green Policy
Clean, green awareness - it just makes sense.
Ascot Park Hotel is a large, popular venue with a vast array of hotel accommodation, facilities and services. But with size comes a big responsibility to minimise the hotel’s impact on the natural resources which sustain us. Southland is a special corner of New Zealand with stunning natural landscapes and unique wildlife and birdlife offer visitors a peek of untouched paradise. Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill wants to keep it that way.
Green Policy
Help us minimise our environmental footprint by reading our Green Policy and following our lead.
Award Winning Sustainability Champions
Celebrate our award winning success as ‘sustainability champions’. We are now one of the top 100 Qualmark Green Tourism businesses, winning an Enviro-Gold Award.
Chemical Free Cleaning
After extensive scientific testing by independent assessors proving the efficacy of microfiber cloths over traditional cleaning chemicals on site at the hotel, Ascot Park Hotel housekeeping staff have traded their environmentally damaging chemical cleaners for microfiber cloths as cleaning agents.
In 2012 Ascot Park Hotel was awarded with the Environment Southland/Department of Conservation Award for Outstanding New Conservation Initiative for our ongoing support with the historical restoration project on Dog Island (Motu Piu).
In July 2013 Ascot Park Hotel was awarded the Environment Southland Highly Commended Environmental Innovator Award for our chemical free cleaning policy.
In September 2013 Ascot Park Hotel was awarded the Hospitality New Zealand Award for Excellence in Environmental, Sustainable and Ethical Practice for our continued efforts in the field of sustainability.
Meet the Team
The Management team acknowledges that without the fantastic staff at the Ascot Park Hotel, we could not deliver the service standards we pride ourselves on.
Bryan Townley
Executive Manager
After joining the team in November 2014, Bryan brings 28 years of experience working across various hospitality sectors, including eight years in Australia. Having previously managed four of the Invercargill Licensing Trust properties, Bryan now takes over management of the "Flag Ship".
Bryan is known for his hands-on attitude and drive to ensure all guests are well looked after by the dedicated team.
Nick Murie
Assistant Manager
Nick has worked for a number of the Invercargill Licensing Trust establishments during the past 17 years, gaining a wide variety of experiences in bars, restaurants and conferences.
Nick strives to ensure that your visit to Ascot Park Hotel will be a memorable occasion.
Tamai Goomes
Accounts Manager
Growing up in the tourism and hospitality industry, Tamai brings a wide range of experience to the team.
Tamai joined the Ascot crew in 2013 on reception and now looks after our accounts department in the management team.
Cheryl Melrose
Front Office Manager
With 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Cheryl's key role is overseeing the accommodation at Ascot Park Hotel.
With Cheryl’s attention to detail you can be ensured that all your accommodation needs are met.
Greg Jenks
Sous Chef
Southland born and bred, Greg has 18 years’ experience in the kitchen, working all over NZ and Australia. Everything from pubs to 5 star hotels, Greg enjoys making the ‘classics’ and adding his own new twist. He has now come back home to show and teach all he has learnt from his work experiences.
Courtney Lowe
Function and Events Coordinator
Courtney has been part of the Ascot Park Hotel team for 17 years and is a valuable asset to our Events department.
She has experience working on a number of large-scale events and her comprehensive knowledge of the hotel, combined with impeccable attention to detail, ensures a flawless event every time.
Simon Henry
Executive Chef
With more than 20 years working throughout the South Pacific and Australia, Simon brings his knowledge and experience in a variety of food styles to the Ascot kitchen.
Through fantastic menus, attention to detail and a personal touch, Simon has the know-how and can-do to make every occasion at the Ascot a memorable one.
Ang Simpson
Function and Events Manager
Ang is born & bred in Southland but started her hospitality career in Christchurch, where she spent her time working in Food & Beverage whilst studying towards her Bachelor of Commerce - Hotel & institution Management. Over 12 years she worked her way through the ranks to Food & Beverage Manager at Holiday Inn. When the ground started shaking she decided to move the family to safer grounds and come home for good. Ang now spends her spare time with her boys on their lifestyle block when not escaping on a tramp or jetting off to the next concert. Ang has been part of the Ascot Events team since 2016 and loves nothing more than seeing a successful event through to the end.
Paulette Geary
Food & Beverage Manager
Paulette has been working in hospitality since she was 13 years old. After spending six dedicated years at the Kelvin Hotel in Invercargill she decided to move on to the Ascot to gain more knowledge in the hospitality industry.
With that move Paulette gained the technical expertise to become a registered workplace assessor with Service IQ, and now has the ability to up skill our valuable staff members and qualify them for Level 3 and 4 New Zealand Certificates in Business, Food and Beverage or Accommodation strands.
Paulette has a keen eye for detail and prides herself on her high work ethic.
Kim Stuart
Sportsbar Manager
Bringing an unrivalled passion for hospitality to the Ascot Park Hotel team, Kim is equipped with a Bachelor in Hotel & Tourism Management and six years of experience in a variety of establishments.
Kim is an enthusiastic and innovative member of the team who ensures every experience at the Ascot Sports Bar is an enjoyable one.
Born and bred in the deep south, she’s as keen on rugby as they come and she’s sure to fit in with the locals.
Lynese Boyes
Room Attendant Manager
Joining the Ascot Park Hotel team in 2010, Lynese brings a whopping 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry to our rooms division.
Lynese was the driving force behind the implementation of the chemical free cleaning policy in our guest rooms, ensuring your accommodation is always presented in the cleanest and most comfortable of condition.
Amie Taufa
Restaurant Manager
Amie started working at the Ascot in 2018 after studying a bachelor in hotel management. She was originally employed as a food and beverage attendant then quickly progressed to restaurant supervisor, then bar supervisor. Amies hard work, attention to detail and customer care skills secured her role as restaurant manager. Amie is an active member the local Tongan community and teaches cultural dancing in her spare time.
History
Ascot Park Hotel covers an expansive 17 acres and has been an icon of Invercargill for over 40 years.
The goal for the site was to provide a tasteful, modern, internationally classed hotel and conference centre for Invercargill city. The plans to build a single floor, fully contained complex were released in 1972.
The vision for site was to build motel units along with a full hotel complex on landscaped grounds that provided privacy and noise reduction for the site and the guests.
In a bold move by the Invercargill Licensing Trust the Hotel was built in stages, utilizing permanent and temporary facilities in order to gain revenue from the complex even while it was being completed.
Work officially began in 1976 on the motels units. In December 1976 the 23 motel rooms had been completed and work began on temporary facilities that would be used while the permanent structure of the hotel was being completed. A year later in December of 1977 Ascot Park Hotel was opened, with 23 motel units and temporary facilities providing accommodation and dining to guests.
From 1978 to 1980 the hotel took shape as permanent dining and kitchen facilities, conference rooms, accommodation wings and main foyer were completed. The last facility added to the hotel before its opening was the pool area and on the 16th of February 1980 Ascot Park Hotel was officially opened by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon.
Upon completion the 'Y' shaped complex had 81 guest rooms and conference facilities able to cater for 600+. It instantly became the crown jewel of the Invercargill Licensing Trust.
Since its completion in 1980 the hotel has seen the addition of extra conference rooms, upgrading of facilities and interior refurbishment. Two new accommodation wings have also been added to the complex, the Henderson wing in 1995 and the Harrington wing in 2010.
Today Ascot Park Hotel offers 92 Hotel rooms and 24 motel units, 8 conference rooms, pool and spa facilities, Fitness Centre, fully licensed bar and restaurant, a world class hotel that is a unique gateway into Invercargill and the Southland Region.
Tesla Destination Charging Station
Wherever
your journey takes you, there is a large and growing network of accessible
locations to keep your Tesla electric vehicle charged. Ascot Park Hotel is pleased to be able to
offer our guests use of a Tesla Destination charging center!