The $200 million redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour is on track to open in less than a year and will mark a new era for Sydney’s meeting and convention industry.
The redevelopment is one of Sydney’s most ambitious projects in recent years, driving the wider revitalisation of Darling Harbour as a world-class meeting destination and addressing the current demand for hotel rooms and convention space in the city centre.
Sydney, as both a business and leisure destination, continues to thrive and boasts a steady, strong performance in recent years but a current shortage of hotel rooms is prohibiting further growth for the market.
The multi-million dollar redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, located at the heart of Darling Harbour, promises to address this current accommodation shortfall with the addition of a third accommodation tower, which will provide 222 new guestrooms, bringing the hotel’s total portfolio to 905 rooms.
The 4800 additional square metres of pillar-less function, convention, and exhibition space will also help relight Sydney’s international conference business, which has been slowing since the closure of Sydney’s Convention and Exhibition Centre. On opening in May 2016, the new convention space, together with the hotel’s current meeting and event facilities, will cater to the industry providing event space in the CBD area during the closure of the Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is also undergoing a redevelopment.
With the team recently returning from a calendar of international and domestic trade events including AIME and AIBTM in the US, director of sales, Jo Naumovski, says the industry is excited about the new look Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour and about Sydney’s future as a leading MICE destination.
“The reaction we’ve received about the new facilities has been great. People are generally very impressed by the size of the new meeting spaces and happy to hear how quickly and seamlessly the development is progressing.”
The hotel also invited key industry decision makers, including event managers, PCOs, and planners, to be amongst the first to get a sneak preview of the redevelopment and provide feedback during a hard hat tour.
“As the first group of clients to be shown around the redevelopment, we were really pleased with their response. Based on the group’s feedback, they’re confident the facilities will be first-rate and the guest experience truly unique,” said David Fraser, general manager of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour.
And the good news is the industry is taking notice, with meetings business already rolling in. The hotel is taking bookings from June 1, 2016 and the first event is locked in for June 3, 2016.
Scheduled for completion in May 2016 for the convention space and August 2016 for the third tower, the hotel, which will continue to operate during the redevelopment, will feature two pillar-free ballrooms with natural light and views over Sydney’s Darling Harbour. The Maritime Ballroom will have capacity for 1000 and the Grand Ballroom will fit 1100 theatre-style.
For more information on Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour, visit http://www.fourpointssydney.com/.
For sales enquiries: Jo Naumovski, director of sales. Phone: 02 9290 4883. Email: Jo.Naumovski@fourpoints.com