ORACAL 551 ‘gold seal’ on New Zealand’s first chocolate-themed hotel
Internationally-renowned NZ confectioners and chocolatiers, Whittakers, has officially opened the doors to the ultimate sweet escape – the aptly named Hotel Sweet in Auckland – and ORACAL 551 #931 Gold wrap was used for the three-metre bow that encompassed the hotel prior to its grand opening. The unique hotel project, which sees Whittakers taking over Auckland’s Michelin Key-awarded Hotel Fitzroy, is part of the company’s celebration of 130 years of chocolate making.
The hotel wrap was completed by Auckland-based creative studio Blink, who are well-known for their curation of bold brand identities and large-scale signage and installation. Blink describe themselves as ‘problem solvers and big thinkers’ so when the opportunity arose to ‘dress’ the newly themed Hotel Sweet, the Blink team immediately came up with a concept that would quite literally put a bow on the occasion.
Marketed as a one-of-a-kind sweet indulgent experience, all guests of the hotel are treated to an array of Whittakers’ delights from the moment they arrive, starting with a chilled Chocolate Milk and Creamy Milk Sante Bar on arrival, through to a welcome treat inside the luxury suite, complete with playful chocolate-themed details in soft furnishings, robes, slippers, and linens, and bowls of Artisan Squares and Chocolate Pods placed throughout the hotel. Also included for guests is afternoon high tea and evening turndown service, both enhanced with special Whittakers treats, breakfast delivered to the room with a Whittakers touch and finally a sweet parting gift: a favourite 250g block, wrapped for the journey home. To experience the chocolate in full, the hotel features a library of Whittaker’s chocolate past and present, for guests to browse, reminisce and rediscover old favourites.
Due to the overwhelming response to the first release of rooms – the initial rooms sold out in under an hour! – chocolate lovers now have a second chance to book, with all proceeds from Hotel Sweet being donated to Save the Kiwi, Whittaker’s longest-standing charity partner.
ORAFOL confirms: “Large format installs like this one show what ORACAL 551 is built for. It is a high-gloss cast film engineered to maintain colour consistency and finish quality on dimensional and large-scale applications, giving sign makers and applicators confidence on high visibility projects.”
The high performance Premium Flexible Polymeric Calendered Film is well-known for its long-term outdoor durability (up to 8 years for black/white) and excellent dimensional stability. The team at Whittakers are purported top be wrapped with the result.
