Marriott International Area Vice President, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Sean Hunt, says it’s an exciting time for the group.
This is an exciting time to be part of the Pacific region’s hotel industry. All indicators point to strong operating conditions, with high occupancy levels and ongoing demand for high-quality accommodation expected to continue to drive growth throughout the market over the next five years.
Marriott International is front and centre of this growth with 31 hotels in operation and 21 properties spanning 15 brands in the planning/construction stages. Our current pipeline represents over 4900 additional rooms already signed across Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland, and we believe there is still room for more.
The business events industry continues to be a key driver behind Marriott International’s growth across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
As increasing numbers of both international and local groups flock to the region, Marriott International is renovating and expanding its assets to provide planners and their guests greater access to state-of-the-art accommodation and facilities.
Last year both Brisbane Marriott Hotel and Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park unveiled updated meeting spaces and guestrooms, following multimillion-dollar, property-wide transformations.
Brisbane Marriott Hotel’s two floors of event space now provide the latest technology, ergonomic furniture and elegant furnishings, while its guestrooms reflect Brisbane’s cosmopolitan ambiance for a comfortable stay. Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park’s 17 event spaces now feature a refreshed, contemporary design, while its guestrooms provide functional work spaces conceived with the needs of today’s tech-savvy business traveller in mind.
From an expansion perspective, 2018 alone saw Marriott International add approximately 13,800 square metres of event space to the Australian market. In Sydney, Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Central Park brought seven new meeting and event spaces to the city’s lively Chippendale neighbourhood. While in Brisbane, the opening of The Westin Brisbane and W Brisbane saw 13 new event spaces added in the heart of the River City, designed to appeal to both international and local visitors.
Our expansion will continue in 2019, when Marriott International will open two key properties in Australia. Element Melbourne Richmond will debut in Melbourne’s trendy Botanicca precinct in May, marking the first of its kind in Australia. One of Marriott International’s key lifestyle brands, it will offer a range of live/work/play spaces and open flow guestrooms designed to bring people together, all with a sustainability focus.
Following this, The Ritz-Carlton Perth will mark the re-entry of the brand into Australia in late 2019. It is set to offer 2000 square metres of luxurious conference space, including a spacious 572 square metre ballroom fitted with the latest AV technology.
This is in addition to Marriott International’s resort offerings, which provide modern event facilities in a relaxing setting. Renovated in 2016, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas’ 11 light-filled event and meeting spaces continue to attract international and local guests to Far North Queensland. While at Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa, 12 meeting and event spaces are accompanied by elegant guestrooms and peaceful outdoor lagoons.
Complementing these offerings is Marriott International’s new loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy. The new program, which officially launched in February 2019, will replace the Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest brands and marks the final step in the unification of our loyalty offering.
Marriott Bonvoy offers Marriott International’s 120 million members worldwide unmatched benefits and experiences across our portfolio of global brands in 129 countries and territories, providing endless inspiration for members to travel and pursue their passions. Planners can earn and redeem points for hosting meetings with us, while guests can enjoy member rates on accommodation and exclusive in-destination experiences no matter if simply travelling for business or extending a trip for leisure.
For more information, visit Marriott.com