Nurse now set to build motel for hospital goers
LOS ANGELES: A nurse turned property developer is building a motel for hospital goers and their families.
“There’s clearly a need,” says Jeffin Tharayil. “I know the reason why people would be staying here.”
He’s worked as a nurse at Waikato Hospital for eight years and at Braemar Hospital for about four, and had first-hand encounters with people struggling to find a decent place to stay nearby.
So he’s building a 30-room motel on Kahikatea Drive with a special service – free pick up and drop off to the two hospitals.
A market study showed there are nearly 65 to 70 rooms available on any given night within a one-kilometre radius of the hospital.
However, about 150 surgeries are scheduled every day in the area, Tharayil says. This includes procedures at Waikato Hospital, Braemar Hospital and Winston McEwan’s Practice on Allison St.
The motel would also provide a parking solution, which “was a nightmare for many patients and their families”.
“I know people who get stuck in Braemar, waiting for family to pick them up because they can’t find a park.
“It’s a small thing, but is huge for someone who had a small procedure or operation and wants to go back to the motel and stay there.
“I have seen an old couple having to park a couple kilometres away because they can’t find a park.”
Tharayil said he understood the strain on patients and their family members.
“You get people from all over the country with very serious patients, they’ve got no idea what’s happening, where to go and so on.”
The new motel will replace four houses on Kahikatea Drive. Tharayil bought one of them as his first home in 2011 and had purchased the remaining three properties by 2016.
Apart from building two duplexes – four units – on a 1100m² section in Glenview, this is his first big-scale development project.
Tharayil is looking at a $10 million investment. While he acknowledged it was a risky project, he said he was optimistic as he had many experts on his side.
He applied for a resource consent to build the motel on the 2800m² section in 2021.
It was approved by an Independent Hearing Commissioner last year.
The motel will be spread across a two storey and three storey building and will cater to mid-to-high end clients.
It will have a commercial kitchen for the bed and breakfast option, 30 car parks, a conference hall, a gym, spa, and each room will feature a balcony.
The luxury rooms will also have a private spa.
Tharayil said there was a big gap in the industry “because people are sceptical about staying at many motels in Hamilton, especially on Ulster Street”.
The construction is expected to begin end of this month and the motel is scheduled to be built within the next 15 months.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the resource consent application was declined by Hamilton City Council. After receiving a submission from a neighbour, the application went to a hearing where Council recommended granting the consent, subject to conditions. Amended November 22, 2024.
