ABOUT US

On April 10th 1954, Hanmer and Bernadine (Corrie) Monk arrived at The Paroa Hotel, from the Bealey Hotel, with their first son Bernie, who was 3 months old. The Paroa Hotel was legendary on the West Coast for exceptional food and genuine hospitality. The law at the time meant you had to be closed by 6pm from Monday to Saturday. Trading on Sunday was prohibited. Sometimes, these rules were bent to accommodate West Coasters’ thirst. A secret knock at the door allowed you to enter, and often the local police would call ahead to ensure the premises would be empty by the time they arrived.

This legendary hospitality was continued by Bernie and his brother Winston until 2012, when Bernie’s children, Alan and Olivia, carried over the tradition. You’ll often see the whole family – Bernie, Kath, Olivia and Alan – offering the genuine West Coast hospitality that Ham and Corrie offered 70 years ago.

Over the years the Paroa Hotel has expanded to include two bars, a restaurant, a gaming room, a function room and 17 motel units. Olivia and Alan have also expanded their interests, establishing Sevenpenny, in the Greymouth Town Square in 2019 and Thatcher & Small in Hokitika in 2023.