The 209-key Le Méridien Lindeman Island Resort and Spa is slated to open on the island in the Whitsundays late in 2027 on a 70-hectare site.
Club Med was the last to operate a resort on Lindeman Island, with its resort shutting down in 2012.
The resort was bought by Singaporean company Well Smart Group in 2023 and is currently undergoing a $60 million makeover. When it opens, the property will be managed by La Vie Hotels & Resorts.
The hotel will have 200 rooms and nine suites, two restaurants and a lobby lounge and bar, a pool, a fitness centre, a recreation centre with water sports as a focus, an archery range, tennis courts and indoor golf facilities, as well as a spa and function space.
“Whilst the Whitsunday Islands has been a much-loved destination for Australian travellers since the 1980s, visitation from international markets has been inhibited by a limited offering of international branded resorts,” said Marriott’s vice president of hotel development for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Richard Crawford.
“We are excited about the potential for Marriott’s leading distribution platforms and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme, which now has nearly 283 million members, to elevate the global profile and appeal of this remarkable destination.
“Well Smart Group’s commitment to a full hotel refurbishment, and our first collaboration with La Vie Hotels & Resorts, make this a landmark advancement for Marriott.
“Born in an era of glamorous travel, for decades Le Méridien has believed that everyone should explore the world in style – and we couldn’t be more excited to deliver that same opportunity on the newly imagined Lindeman Island.”
Representatives from both Well Smart Group and La Vie Hotels and Resorts echoed Crawford’s “landmark” development comments.
“Securing Le Méridien as our hotel brand for Lindeman Island is a defining moment for this project,” said Well Smart Group’s director, Jack Jia.
“Le Méridien’s global reputation for design-led luxury and its celebration of culture and the good life is the perfect fit for what we are creating here in the Whitsundays.
“This is a destination with a proud history, and together with La Vie Hotels and Resorts and the Marriott Bonvoy platform behind us, we are confident Lindeman Island will reclaim its place as one of Australia’s most iconic resort experiences – and take its rightful position on the world stage.”
The Lindeman Island resort will be the first time La Vie Hotels and Resorts has managed a Marriott property.
“Working with Marriott International to bring Le Méridien to the Whitsundays marks our first collaboration, we could not be more proud of what that means for this project,” said La Vie Hotels & Resorts CEO Jerry Xu.
“The Marriott Bonvoy platform gives Lindeman Island immediate access to a global audience of hundreds of millions of loyal travellers, and Le Méridien’s creative, design-led identity is a natural match for the extraordinary natural beauty we are restoring here.
“This is the beginning of an exciting new stage for the project, and we look forward to building a strong and enduring relationship with Marriott International as we bring this iconic Australian destination back to life.”
Lindeman Island is a 20-minute boat ride from Hamilton Island, which has the only airport amongst the islands in the Whitsundays.
This will be the second internationally branded hotel for the Whitsundays – IHG Hotels & Resorts operates the resort on Hayman Island.
