1893-1899
After Julia Eichardt's death in 1892, the hotel, together with the gardens in the Shotover district, personal property and effects were sold to William Lochtie Philp for £5500.41 William Philp was proprietor for three years between 1893 and 1896. The hotel then sold to Mrs Helen Fraser and Arthur Ford, as tenants-in-common with equal shares. Both proprietors had been previously involved in hotels in the area, Helen Fraser at the Alpine Hotel in Glenorchy and Arthur Ford at Queenstown's Prince of Wales Hotel.42Helen Fraser was listed as proprietress until 1899. Three years later she had moved to the Lake Te Anau Hotel.43 1899-1914
In January 1899 Mr and Mrs Walter Searle took possession of the hotel. They were soon joined by their only son, George, and his wife Mary.
In 1907, George and Mary took over the business. However, George died suddenly two years later, leaving his widow to continue running the business while raising their son and two daughters. On her departure from Queenstown in 1914, Mary Searle was described in the Lake Wakatip Mail as 'a wonderfully capable manager' possessing tireless energy and competency. The local paper went on to state that 'the name of Eichardt's has become synonymous with comfort in its broadest signification'.44
The hotel entered another prominent period in its history during the Searle's tenancy. Tourism continued to grow and the town's four hotels and nine boarding houses were insufficient to meet demand during the summer.45 Eichardt's Hotel continued to attract high-class clientele, including, in December 1902, Sir Joseph and Lady Ward and their daughter. The Searles continued the development of tourist activities for the hotel guests. In 1903, they put the first motor launch, capable of accommodating up to 30 people, on Lake Wakatipu.46
Probably the most significant development during the Searle's tenancy was the establishment, in 1912, of the 'Grand Motor Tour' by the Mount Cook Company. On 6 February 1912, the Mount Cook Motor Service brought its first two cars through from Pembroke to Queenstown. The distinguished group of tourists included Mr Arthur Myers, MP for Auckland, and his wife; Mr Radcliffe, Chief Clerk of Mines and Mr C Jones, one of the proprietors of the service. All were guests at Eichardt's Hotel. In March 1912, the Honourable T McKenzie, Minister in Charge of the Tourist Department visited Queenstown to perform the opening ceremony of the Coronation Baths. Before leaving Queenstown via the Mt Cook Motor Service, Mackenzie warned against opposition to motor traffic in Queenstown and christened the Mt Cook service the 'Grand Motor Tour'.
By 1918, there was a weekly service car between Mt Cook and Queenstown, connections with Cromwell, and three cars a week between Queenstown and Pembroke.47 The company later introduced its first bus tour into Queenstown in 1923.48 Many of this new breed of tourist, the motorist, stayed at Eichardt's Hotel. The most popular way of reaching Queenstown until the 1930s, however, remained the steamer across the lake from Kingston. The Mount Cook Company's first venture into Queenstown in 1912, marked the beginning of an important relationship between the company and the town.
1915-1936
In January 1915, Mr and Mrs van Paine took over proprietorship of Eichardt's Hotel. The couple came from Dunedin where they had considerable experience in the management of hotels including the well-known Wains Hotel, as well as The Mansions in Stafford Street and The Pavilion at St Clair.50 The van Paines resided in Queenstown for only five years, but Mr van Paine was active in the local community. He was deputy mayor and represented ratepayers on the local borough council; a member of the golf club and president of the bowling club for two to three years in succession, and a committee member of St Peter's Church vestry.51 In 1920, they left Queenstown and the hotel was leased to Donald Murchison before being sold to him in 1924.
Murchison had been provedore for the Lake Wakatipu Steamer Service. He and his wife, continued the tradition of high-class service and accommodation. Mrs Murchison's brand of hospitality reputedly included meeting women passengers on their return from the tourist excursion to Skippers with a bottle of brandy and glasses in hand.52
When Murchison purchased the hotel it 1924, he leased it to Thomas Rutherford for a period of five years. Rutherford came to Queenstown with excellent credentials having worked at two large Invercargill hotels, the Grand and Club Hotels, as well as several commercial clubs.53 In June 1929, Murchison resumed possession and Rutherford returned to Invercargill. For close on the five years Rutherford was 'a live wire in the town'.54 He served as a borough councillor, being the top-polling candidate in two municipal elections. He was appointed deputy mayor in 1928 and reappointed to the position in May 1929. He served on numerous council committees, was president of the Wakatipu Bowling Club for two years, first president of the Queenstown Brass Band and also first president of the Queenstown Swimming Club formed in 1928-29. Rutherford was also involved with the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society, Queenstown Progressive League and the local regatta club.55
On his return to the hotel, Murchison started extensive renovations that he hoped would bring the hotel in line with modern requirements. He started by demolishing the old wooden bank, in order to build an up-to-date lounge, a new suite of bedrooms and bathrooms in concrete.56 The depression intervened and tourism in the region declined. It was not until 1936 that the tourist flow started again.
