Just as the city opened itself to the river with Elizabeth Quay, architectural renderings of the proposed upgrade to PCEC, originally built in 2004, will see it re-oriented to face the water via an extension that cantilevers over foreshore roadways.
EQ West is part of a $300 million development that includes a 52-storey residential apartment tower next to the 25-storey hotel. It will add 190 five-star rooms to the precinct that has approximately 1,000 rooms within five minutes’ walk of the convention centre.
Closest delegate accommodation includes The Ritz-Carlton, Perth with 205 rooms, the Doubletree by Hilton with 225 rooms, the 80-room Quay Perth, the 138-room Adina apartment hotel and the 308-room Parmelia Hilton.
Within 15 minutes’ walk of the precinct are Perth’s other major CBD hotels, which between them offer well in excess of 1,000 rooms, which is handy because during a visit to Perth last week, hosted by Business Events Perth, micenet experienced a busy PCEC – this month hosting events including a 1,900-delegate education conference and a 1,500-person incentive event for Amway Taiwan.
While no-one at PCEC is commenting on the redevelopment, PCOs are known to be enthused at the proposed expansion which would increase the centre’s plenary capacity from 2,500 to at least 4,500, opening up opportunities for meetings that currently only fit in the largest east coast venues in Australia.
In other developments noted during our visit, Perth’s Hyatt Regency is redeveloping its accommodation on the second floor to meet demand for a range of long-stay apartment-style studios alongside one and two-bedroom accommodation. The hotel, which adjoins Langley Plaza, will also get access to a newly-built convenience store for longer-stay guests.
