The $120-million hotel offers 200 rooms and is a project from Plenary Group, who is also part of the consortium responsible for bringing the convention centre to life.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be opening the doors to Crowne Plaza Geelong,” said Crowne Plaza Geelong’s general manager, John Dickson.
“To launch at a time when the city is buzzing with major events and welcoming visitors from near and far is incredibly exciting.
“The Crowne Plaza brand is centred around bringing people together, whether they are travelling for sport, business or leisure, or meeting locally to dine and connect.
“From day one, our focus has been on creating a hotel that feels connected to Geelong, its waterfront and its community. Seeing the hotel come to life with a full house during opening week is exactly what we hoped for.”
Alongside its room inventory, the property offers a ground-floor café, Verde on Smythe, a first floor Italian restaurant, Sociali Trattoria & Bar, and the Skyline Bar on level 10, which will serve up local wines and local small-batch gins.
While it will no doubt get much of its business from those attending events at the new convention centre, Crowne Plaza Geelong also has its own meeting spaces, including the Waterfront Room for up to 250 delegates, the Pier Room for 40 and the You Yangs Room for 20. Meanwhile, the Social Space can accommodate up to 150 people and a private dining room on the hotel’s top floor can cater to 40.
“Projects like this come to life through strong collaboration, and we’ve been proud to work alongside IHG, the City of Greater Geelong and local stakeholders to deliver a hotel that complements the city’s vision for its waterfront,” said Plenary Group CEO, Paul Crowe.
“Crowne Plaza Geelong is the result of that shared commitment and the hotel will play a key role in supporting Geelong’s growing visitor economy, providing the quality accommodation needed to attract and host national and international audiences so they can enjoy Geelong and this amazing region.”
Guest rooms at the hotel look out either over Geelong’s bay or over the regional city.
The convention centre, Nyaal Banyul, has its opening slated for July and will offer 3,700m2 of event space, including a 1,000-seat theatre, nearly 2,000m2 of exhibition space and several smaller meeting rooms.
While the Crowne Plaza Geelong is the largest hotel in Geelong for now, the expansion currently underway at Novotel Geelong, a short walk from the convention centre, will usurp it when it opens in 2027.
