The site is fenced off, the paving isn't done and it doesn't even have a name yet.
The hulking, faux-Parisian structure on Manuka's most prominent corner was once billed as a potential panacea to the flagging heritage shopping precinct.
But while it won't have the promised cinema or any commercial tenancies, the controversy-plagued hotel is well on track to open this year, according to its developer.
