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Revingtons Hotel, Greymouth. - ALBUM -
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DescriptionTHE MOST RECENT VERSION OF REVINGTONS HOTEL WAS BUILT IN 1938 AND WAS LOCATED IN GREYMOUTH’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AT 45-49 TAINUI STREET.
IT WAS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AS ONE OF THE WEST COAST’S LEADING HOTEL ESTABLISHMENTS. THE HOTEL HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEMOLISHED AND THE SITE PREPARED FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
The ancestry of Revingtons Hotel can be traced to a timber hotel built on this site by John William Oliver in 1876 called the Post Office Hotel. It was taken over by Tom Jones in circa 1885. In the mid 1890s, the hotel was purchased by William Daly Revington, who added his name to its title to become ‘Revington’s Post Office Hotel’, shortened to ‘Revingtons’.
Revington made large additions to the hotel building. In 1901, it was described as being ‘probably the quietest, most dignified and generally excellent establishment … [it is] far above what would be generally expected in a town the size of Greymouth’.
At this time, it was a two storied structure with a large balcony overlooking the thoroughfare, and comprised about 25 bedrooms, as well as apartments. On the ground floor was a large dining room, billiard room, commercial room, four sitting rooms, pantry, kitchen and servants rooms. A major flood in 1936 saw waters rising high enough for the chairs in the dining room to float around. It is possible that this event led to the decision to replace the hotel a year later.
In 1938, the owners of the day, Allan and Margaret Marshall, replaced the original hotel building with a new Spanish Mission-Art Deco style building. The architects were the Christchurch firm of Collins & West. Two stories in height and V-shaped in plan, this replacement hotel building had a ceramic tiled roof. The main façade fronted Tainui Street and contained a central entrance leading to the hotel’s foyer, with a balcony at the centre above. Smaller doorways were located at either end of the west façade’s ground floor, and there were sash windows on both the ground and first floor above. The first-floor balcony doorways were flanked by colonnades and above was an applied decoration in the form of a curved pediment. The central portion of the façade protruded from the main roof line.
Original architectural drawings, dated January 1937, show the layout of the building with its near-triangular footprint. The ground floor contained a central entrance foyer, two bars, bar parlour, commercial room, lounge, dining room and kitchen. A staircase in the foyer led to the first floor which contained 25 bedrooms.
The hotel has had a long history of hosting dignitaries. Probably the most famous guests were Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, who were photographed on 18 January 1954, waving to a large crowd from the hotel’s balcony. (See pic)
While most buildings in downtown Greymouth are on Maori reserve land, Revingtons Hotel was unusual in that an auction in 2008 saw part of the land going into private ownership. The photos below show the good times and Revingtons prior to the demolition in 2020.Map[1] ContributorTony Kokshoorn
IT WAS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AS ONE OF THE WEST COAST’S LEADING HOTEL ESTABLISHMENTS. THE HOTEL HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEMOLISHED AND THE SITE PREPARED FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
The ancestry of Revingtons Hotel can be traced to a timber hotel built on this site by John William Oliver in 1876 called the Post Office Hotel. It was taken over by Tom Jones in circa 1885. In the mid 1890s, the hotel was purchased by William Daly Revington, who added his name to its title to become ‘Revington’s Post Office Hotel’, shortened to ‘Revingtons’.
Revington made large additions to the hotel building. In 1901, it was described as being ‘probably the quietest, most dignified and generally excellent establishment … [it is] far above what would be generally expected in a town the size of Greymouth’.
At this time, it was a two storied structure with a large balcony overlooking the thoroughfare, and comprised about 25 bedrooms, as well as apartments. On the ground floor was a large dining room, billiard room, commercial room, four sitting rooms, pantry, kitchen and servants rooms. A major flood in 1936 saw waters rising high enough for the chairs in the dining room to float around. It is possible that this event led to the decision to replace the hotel a year later.
In 1938, the owners of the day, Allan and Margaret Marshall, replaced the original hotel building with a new Spanish Mission-Art Deco style building. The architects were the Christchurch firm of Collins & West. Two stories in height and V-shaped in plan, this replacement hotel building had a ceramic tiled roof. The main façade fronted Tainui Street and contained a central entrance leading to the hotel’s foyer, with a balcony at the centre above. Smaller doorways were located at either end of the west façade’s ground floor, and there were sash windows on both the ground and first floor above. The first-floor balcony doorways were flanked by colonnades and above was an applied decoration in the form of a curved pediment. The central portion of the façade protruded from the main roof line.
Original architectural drawings, dated January 1937, show the layout of the building with its near-triangular footprint. The ground floor contained a central entrance foyer, two bars, bar parlour, commercial room, lounge, dining room and kitchen. A staircase in the foyer led to the first floor which contained 25 bedrooms.
The hotel has had a long history of hosting dignitaries. Probably the most famous guests were Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, who were photographed on 18 January 1954, waving to a large crowd from the hotel’s balcony. (See pic)
While most buildings in downtown Greymouth are on Maori reserve land, Revingtons Hotel was unusual in that an auction in 2008 saw part of the land going into private ownership. The photos below show the good times and Revingtons prior to the demolition in 2020.Map[1] ContributorTony Kokshoorn
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)GreymouthOrganisation (eg business)Revingtons Hotel
Category Information
Category TagHotels
From Facebook
Date Created24th February 2022CommentsJeff Mills
Great memories of this place.
Dea Minehan
Julie Madigan
Annie Van Looy
Oh sad it's gone
Reply13h
No care for history or heritage!. Money dictated whether it stayed or went. I think we all know the outcome sadly
Yvonne John Mckenzie
Such a Shame that someone could have brought it and done something with it
Kerry Keating
Yvonne John Mckenzie Sad to say Yvonne, it would have cost a massive fortune to bring it up to earthquake standard.
Maureen Spencer
Always sad to see iconic buildings go but it world have cost hundreds of thousands of $
$$ to renovate and earthquake strengthen to standard. I'm not sure anyone would be willing to take that on in the current climate...and then put to use as what?
The longer it stayed the more of a run down eyesore it became.
Jakh Heremia
The revolving doors always fascinated me as a child and created confusion once I was 'old' enough to drink alcohol - a number of times it took 3 circles or more before I was brave enough to attempt evacuation.
Liz Dunn
Cath Farrell . Nawww beautiful building.
Like many places in Greymouth - where to get a great roast when I was living there!
Liz Dunn
Joy Baker
Leese Rogers
Ally Davies they forgot to mention two other amazing dignitaries staying there Bloody great place to party eh x
Ally Davies
Leese Rogers yes! Will always have a place in my heart!
Christine Farrell
And mine lol memories ..
Richard Poole
What does the site look like now?
Peter Robertson
Richard Poole Ukraine?
Richard Poole
Peter Robertson I guessed so.
Pam Eddy
Had my wonderful wedding reception at Revingtons 52 years ago .Beautiful hotel back then .
June Bland
June Burridge. I also had my wedding reception there in 1980. Gary McGill was the manager then.
John Jacobs
June Bland is Gary McGill still on the Coast? I went to Grey High with Gary.
June Bland
I am not to sure where he is now. At one I think he was in Australia.
Grant Callaghan
Should have been saved..cultural vandalism
Richard Howe
As a non Coaster, i will miss that building, as to me it was Greymouth. The town won't be the same without it in my eyes.
Wendy Hogan
Worked there years ago shame its gone
Raylene Cathcart
Had some good night in there after the races
Nicki Killner
So sad they pulled it down. Magnificent building
Les Holmes Germanicus
A criminal act of heritage vandalism.
Cecily Woolhouse
I remember all these young ladies very well,RIP Mary Shaffrey,
Leone Stewart
I certainly remember them all, went to school with all in the pic, still in touch with a couple of them after 55years ,
Diane Craig
Went to school with those girls.
Grant Freer
Had many a good night there in the early 1980
Sonia Moore
So interesting
Eleanor Morel
On the 27th February 1971 we held our wedding reception there. It also has a lot of other memories over the years. Sad to see it go.
Russell Knipe
Gillian Hill and I spent a lot of time there in our youth, putting the world to rights.
Mine hosts were the Voights and Pansie McDonald.
Jill Kramer
Worked there in the 1970’s during the summers.
Great memories of this place.
Dea Minehan
Julie Madigan
Annie Van Looy
Oh sad it's gone
Reply13h
No care for history or heritage!. Money dictated whether it stayed or went. I think we all know the outcome sadly
Yvonne John Mckenzie
Such a Shame that someone could have brought it and done something with it
Kerry Keating
Yvonne John Mckenzie Sad to say Yvonne, it would have cost a massive fortune to bring it up to earthquake standard.
Maureen Spencer
Always sad to see iconic buildings go but it world have cost hundreds of thousands of $
$$ to renovate and earthquake strengthen to standard. I'm not sure anyone would be willing to take that on in the current climate...and then put to use as what?
The longer it stayed the more of a run down eyesore it became.
Jakh Heremia
The revolving doors always fascinated me as a child and created confusion once I was 'old' enough to drink alcohol - a number of times it took 3 circles or more before I was brave enough to attempt evacuation.
Liz Dunn
Cath Farrell . Nawww beautiful building.
Like many places in Greymouth - where to get a great roast when I was living there!
Liz Dunn
Joy Baker
Leese Rogers
Ally Davies they forgot to mention two other amazing dignitaries staying there Bloody great place to party eh x
Ally Davies
Leese Rogers yes! Will always have a place in my heart!
Christine Farrell
And mine lol memories ..
Richard Poole
What does the site look like now?
Peter Robertson
Richard Poole Ukraine?
Richard Poole
Peter Robertson I guessed so.
Pam Eddy
Had my wonderful wedding reception at Revingtons 52 years ago .Beautiful hotel back then .
June Bland
June Burridge. I also had my wedding reception there in 1980. Gary McGill was the manager then.
John Jacobs
June Bland is Gary McGill still on the Coast? I went to Grey High with Gary.
June Bland
I am not to sure where he is now. At one I think he was in Australia.
Grant Callaghan
Should have been saved..cultural vandalism
Richard Howe
As a non Coaster, i will miss that building, as to me it was Greymouth. The town won't be the same without it in my eyes.
Wendy Hogan
Worked there years ago shame its gone
Raylene Cathcart
Had some good night in there after the races
Nicki Killner
So sad they pulled it down. Magnificent building
Les Holmes Germanicus
A criminal act of heritage vandalism.
Cecily Woolhouse
I remember all these young ladies very well,RIP Mary Shaffrey,
Leone Stewart
I certainly remember them all, went to school with all in the pic, still in touch with a couple of them after 55years ,
Diane Craig
Went to school with those girls.
Grant Freer
Had many a good night there in the early 1980
Sonia Moore
So interesting
Eleanor Morel
On the 27th February 1971 we held our wedding reception there. It also has a lot of other memories over the years. Sad to see it go.
Russell Knipe
Gillian Hill and I spent a lot of time there in our youth, putting the world to rights.
Mine hosts were the Voights and Pansie McDonald.
Jill Kramer
Worked there in the 1970’s during the summers.
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West Coast New Zealand History (1st Mar 2022). Revingtons Hotel, Greymouth. - ALBUM -. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 6th Apr 2026 16:31, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/30694