About · RareGlow
The people behind the glow.
RareGlow started in 2016 as twelve rooms and a stubborn idea: that a night out should happen in person, among people, in a building with a history. Ten years on, we run a boutique hotel, a private gaming floor and Dunedin's most-booked conference wing — and we still check every guest in face-to-face.
02 — History
Ten years, one street corner.
From a renovation gamble to a venue that hosts 200+ events a year.
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2016
The doors open
Twelve rooms, a bar and a waiting list for Fridays. The building was a 1920s warehouse; the espresso machine was held together with tape.
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2018
Gaming floor opens
Nine tables and twelve machines, with a rule we've never broken: every game played face-to-face, chips only.
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2021
Conference wing added
220 seats, a catering kitchen and the best natural light in Dunedin. Booked out most quarters since.
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2024
High-limit lounge
A quieter room for bigger stakes — three private tables, a whisky library and a host who remembers your name.
03 — Philosophy
Four things we refuse to compromise.
They're painted on the staff-room wall. Genuinely.
Face-to-face first
Bookings are confirmed by people, check-ins happen at a desk, and every game has a human dealer. 100% offline, on purpose.
Fair play, always
House chips, published rules, no cash at tables. If a game isn't clean, it doesn't run — simple as that.
Local first
Ninety percent of our suppliers are within Otago. The coffee, the beef, the beer — all from down the road.
Quiet upstairs
The party stays on the ground floor. Room floors go quiet at midnight — that's a promise, not a suggestion.
04 — The team
The people you'll actually meet.
Small team, long tenure — the average is six years. They'll know your name by night two.
Marcus Hale
Founder & general manager Since 2016
Dana Whitmore
Head of guest experience Since 2017
Sione Tupou
Gaming floor manager Since 2018
Priya Nair
Events director Since 202105 — Projects & research
What we've built lately.
Renovations, research and events — measured, not guessed.
Glow Floor refit
Rebuilt the gaming floor over eight weeks — new tables, acoustic ceiling, and lighting that finally matches the room.
Why guests keep coming back
We surveyed 412 guests last season. The top reason for returning wasn't the gaming — it was "the people remembered me". So we doubled staff training hours and made name-recall a hiring criterion, not a nice-to-have.
- 68% of bookings are repeat guests
- Average stay: 2.4 nights
Conference wing, year two
214 events hosted, 96% rebooking rate, and a waiting list for Thursdays. The wing now runs at 84% occupancy year-round.
See the hall06 — Recognition
Awards & press.
In the press
“The rare hotel where the casino feels like a members' club and the welcome feels like a homecoming.”Southern Scene, Issue 42
The best way to get us? Walk in.
Come see it in person.
391 Andersons Bay Road, South Dunedin — or write to rareglow@gmail.com and we'll show you around. Details on the contacts page.