More Arrow Hotel rip-offs

A leading Aussie journalist is among another two couples who pre-paid to stay at Arrowtown’s Arrow Hotel only to find new owners suddenly shut the doors last month.

Just over a month ago, Gold Coast Bulletin news director Chantay Logan booked to stay this weekend with her husband to mark her birthday this Sunday.

"The Arrow Hotel looked perfect — peaceful leafy views and a short walk to some of my favourite restaurants."

• Hotel’s closure, sale leaves pre-booked customers in the lurch

She paid $495 for two nights after then-owner Dana Hemingway encouraged her to pay in full.

This Tuesday, however, when looking for check-in details she found the website had disappeared, her phone calls and emails went unanswered "and research suggests it’s closed".

Logan says she had "that sinking feeling, because you really look forward to something, particularly because this is a special occasion".

"I found it before I got there, but I feel awful for people that just rock up.

"And it’s unfair to Queenstown because I’ve always had such positive experiences ... it just reflects badly on the whole industry ... it’s the last thing it needs."

Logan says they managed to book a cheap Arrowtown motel, but would still like a refund for their original booking.

"I didn’t have travel insurance yet because I normally book it right before I leave.

"So, yeah, I guess I will contest it, but it’s a long process."

Hemingway last week said when he settled with Arrowtowners Mark Samways and Ken Wimsett he passed on to their company $40,156 in pre-payments for 63 bookings.

Wimsett, however, said they have no record of who’s booked as the booking portal passed on to them had been deactivated.

Scene also reported they’d on-sold the property to an Auckland company whose managing director says they bought it with vacant possession.

Also this week, Aucklander Sharon Callaghan says back in March she paid $750 as a 50% deposit for her and her husband to stay at Arrow Hotel for four nights in late January to attend a wedding — only to also find the venue’s closed. She’s now rebooked to stay at Millbrook for almost double the cost, but is also chasing a refund.