- Former home of Napier's first massage parlour - Monterell's - hits the market.
- It was a popular late-night drinking spot but is now a money-spinning Airbnb.
- Agent says Spanish Mission-style property is a standout home in the city.
A former brothel in the heart of Napier has hit the market for sale, but the listing agent isn't coy about its colourful past: "If these walls could talk," she says in her marketing.
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The Spanish Mission-style home at 6 Shelley Street, which dates back to the 1930s, is a standout property in the city, and not just because of its reputation.
Its terracotta-coloured roof and architectural style are unique among the Art Deco homes that sprung up in the city around the same time.
But it is the property's more than 20 years as Monterell's Massage Parlour that will pique the interest of locals and curious buyers. The brothel closed in 2008, but it's still being talked about.
The current owner bought it in 2015 to run as short-let accommodation. Photo / Supplied
A new kitchen and flooring was installed before it was listed on Airbnb. Photo / Supplied
Spanish mission buildings were more common in Hastings, she said, while about 80% of Napier’s style was art-deco.
Property Brokers agent Chris McIntyre told OneRoof she had heard stories of when men used to frequent the brothel in the late 1980s to use the bar as it was the only place serving alcohol at three in the morning. “It was a bit of a drinking hole,” she said.
However, even the drinking was secret vice as council planning documents suggest it may never have had an alcohol license.
The elevated site made it relatively private, which would have been ideal for clients wanting discretion, McIntyre said.
“You could go there without being seen. It’s just the way it’s set up against the hill.”
Property records show the building, which is surrounded by a mix of residential and commercial properties, has had a string of owners. Most recently it was run as a long-term rental property but it is now currently operating as a lucrative Airbnb.
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McIntyre said the current owner purchased the property in 2015 for $230,000. He carried out a full renovation, installing a new kitchen and upgrading the bathroom.
The three-bedroom, one-bathroom house returns, known as City Central on Shelley, charges $215 a night. The annual income for the property has currently been capped at $60,000 for tax purposes, but McIntyre said there was potential to get more rent out of it.
She said standalone residential properties were hard to find in CBD. “It’s a really sunny site, and it overlooks the roof-tops of central Napier,” she said. “It is quite iconic.”
She added that the Spanish Mission style was more common in Hastings, while about 80% of Napier’s style was art deco.
The property is also next to the Napier Municipal Theatre and surrounded by bars, cafes and restaurants, which made it a popular choice for visitors to the city.
A news report from Hawke's Bay Today in 2003 mentions that Monterell's was Hawke's Bay's first massage parlour. The article reported that it had changed hands in 2002 and is now owned by the director of a transport firm and a former sex worker was in charge of day-to-day business.
it said that unlike the clubs, Monterell's was open during the day and the only drinks on offer were tea and coffee.
"A lot of men get lonely, they need cuddles and someone to talk to," the shop manager told the paper.
- 6 Shelley Street, in Napier South, is for sale, deadline closing December 12
