The construction of Fox Glacier Hotel in 1928 helped to put South Westland on the tourist map and it is now the only remaining example of the original tourist hotels of the spectacular glacier region.

Awareness and publicity of the beauty and splendour of the longest of the awe-inspiring New Zealand West Coast glaciers, Fox Glacier, came relatively late in the national programme of promoting scenic tourist attractions. While international adventurers and visitors had admired the beauties of the glacier country for many decades, it was not until the 1920s that active steps were taken to promote Westland as the scenic wonderland of New Zealand. Pioneering Weheka (Fox Glacier township) farming family, the Sullivans, initially accommodated visitors in their large timber homestead until eventually an increase in visiting government officials, prospectors and tourists overstretched their resources. Accordingly, in around 1926, John and Mick Sullivan decided that it was time to build a separate hostelry. A sawmill was established, trees cut and milled and building took place throughout 1928.

Constructed of timber, with concrete foundations, weatherboard walls and corrugated steel roof, the main hotel building is two storeyed with a covered balcony flanked by projecting wings on the main, north-facing, elevation. At the time of its opening, newspaper reports hailed the commodious two-storeyed building with its 40 bedrooms capable of accommodating about 100 people, four parlours, offices, large dining room and commodious kitchen which operated both with electricity and with coal or wood fires. Electricity was supplied from the hotel’s own small power generating plant, installed by the Sullivans, which was an innovation new to the area at that time.

Construction of the hotel was followed by the commencement of official guided tours to the Fox Glacier, approximately six kilometres away. The Sullivans employed some very well-known New Zealand mountaineers, including Henry Ayres and Frank Alack. Over the years, the Fox Glacier Hotel has provided accommodation for the night for large numbers of climbers and adventurers from all corners of the world. From the early days, staff members were housed in a separate building, and a garage and separate billiard room had also been constructed. The original hotel building has been extended and altered over time, including a large addition to the south-eastern rear in the early 1950s and further extensions flanking the main façade in the mid 1950s and 1960s. Significant refurbishment took place at first floor level of the main building during 2007 and further work has been carried out in the 2010s. There is a range of separate buildings on the land parcel that relate to the hotel complex, not included in the List entry extent, including two concrete buildings constructed in around 1985.