May 5, 2022 | By Bronwen Largier | Image: The new-build Crowne Plaza Shell Cove Marina
A new Adina will open in a former Melbourne prison, while Adelaide is set to have two new properties in 2023 and 2024, IHG has signed a new regional Crowne Plaza and Pullman Cairns International has entered the final phase of a major refurbishment under the eye of a new general manager.
TFE to open Adina property in former Melbourne prison
TFE Hotels will open a 125-room hotel with event space in what was formerly Pentridge Prison in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg in the second half of 2022.
Adina Apartment Hotel Pentridge Melbourne will have its reception in what was one of the exercise yards in the former prison site.
Nineteen heritage suites will be housed in former prison cells, with each suite spread over four or five cells.
The hotel will also have a unique event space which can accommodate up to 200 people, three meeting rooms for 60 each in banquet and an outdoor garden space of 990m2.
“Although somewhat unconventional, the prison’s former chapel – with its beautiful lead-light windows and huge vaulted ceilings – has been transformed into a function centre and will hold great appeal for MICE and wedding markets looking for that one-of-a-kind experience,” said TFE Hotels’ Group Chief Operating Officer, Chris Sedgwick
“And it’s these unique heritage features throughout the property and clever F&B concepts that we are excited to take to market in the near future.”
The new Adina property is located approximately 8km from the Melbourne CBD.
A render of the new Adina Apartment Hotel Pentridge Melbourne
Two new properties for Adelaide
TFE is also set to open a Vibe hotel in Adelaide in early 2023, marking the entry of the brand into South Australia.
The 18 storey, 123-room Vibe Hotel Adelaide will be located on Flinders St in the Adelaide city centre.
Also in Adelaide, IHG Hotels and Resorts have broken ground on a new Holiday Inn & Suites property in Mawson Lakes, 20 minutes from the CBD in partnership with developer Pelligra Group.
The 130-room hotel will be located on a site adjacent to the University of South Australia’s Mawson Lakes campus which focuses on STEM education and houses several of the university’s research institutes including the Future Industries Institute and the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments.
The hotel is expected to open in 2024 and will include conferencing facilities.
New Crowne Plaza for NSW South Coast
IHG has also just announced a new Crowne Plaza property in regional NSW, with the 181-room new-build Crowne Plaza Shell Cove Marina to open in the Shellharbour region of the state’s South Coast in 2025.
Part of a $1.5 billion development close to Wollongong and one and a half hours’ drive from Sydney, the hotel will feature extensive meetings and events space.
“We’re thrilled to be extending our reach across regional NSW with the addition of this stylish, design-forward hotel on the NSW South Coast, highlighting the increasing demand for contemporary new hotels in regional NSW,” said IHG Hotels & Resorts Australasia & Pacific managing director Matt Tripolone.
“With an ideal position close to Wollongong and major industry and education hubs, Crowne Plaza Shell Cove Marina will be a popular option for corporate travellers and meeting and event guests, and will feature all the hallmarks business travellers want from a hotel – great connectivity in order to get work done during the day while also being a place that offers the chance for travellers to unwind with a drink at the bar at the end of the day.”
Pullman Cairns International’s appoints new GM as final phase of refurb gets underway
In Cairns, following a multi-million-dollar renovation of rooms across eight floors in 2021, Pullman Cairns International is undergoing a second phase of renovation, which includes a significant investment in its restaurant and bar offerings.
The 2021-2022 refurbishments are the most significant the 321-room hotel has undergone since it opened 34 years ago in the tropical Queensland destination.
Last year $1 million was spent rejuvenating the property’s 11 event spaces, which include the largest pillarless ballroom in Cairns.
Pullman Cairns International has also recently welcomed a new general manager with Mark Burns coming up from Sydney to take the reins. Burns was most recently at the helm of The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, overseeing the reopening of the hotel under the new brand, following its conversion from The Westin Sydney.
“Mark’s experience in the five-star sector and talent for elegant, upscale makeovers make him the perfect person to take the helm at this crucial time,” said CEO of Accor Pacific Sarah Derry.
“He has an incredible ability to reinvent a hotel in terms of service culture and food and beverage and will undoubtedly lead the Pullman team to create a special guest experience.”