Timaru Hydro Grand Hotel Caroline Bay

The Hydro Grand was built to occupy the corner site, and was constructed in brick with a white cement and roughcast façade. The Sefton Street corner had an ornamental Belvedere at roof level, providing a view of the town, harbour and coastline. The ground floor held a large tea room and entrance lobby along the Stafford Street front, and three shops on the Sefton Street frontage. The exterior of the Stafford Street front contained balconies between oriel windows which extended to three gables at roof level. There were also two gables on the Sefton Street front. There was a post-less verandah erected along the Stafford Street front and part-way down the Sefton Street side.
One feature of the Hydro Grand was the use of salt water as one of the plumbing options. A feed was taken from Caroline Bay and pumped into tanks in the roof of the building. From there it was run into the boiler room where it was heated to scalding point before being plumbed to the bathrooms. The building was constructed with fire resistance in mind. The walls and ceilings were plastered, with the ceilings being alternately fibrous plaster or asbestos materials. There were five fire escapes on the outside of the building, which serviced the building from all parts. Near the back entrance was located a freight lift, and a steam-drying room (both the first in a Timaru Hotel).