Rikesh Rajakulasingham will oversee The Star Grand in Queen’s Wharf, which will have 340 rooms.
Initially training as an aerospace engineer, Rajakulasingham entered the hotel industry just over 20 years ago, working his way up from housekeeping to assistant manager at Four Points by Sheraton Darling Harbour in Sydney in just three years.
He joined The Star Entertainment Group almost a decade ago, in November 2013, working in various roles at The Star Sydney, eventually becoming director of hotels there. Moving up to Queensland, he has been director of hotels for Treasury Brisbane, The Star’s existing property in Brisbane, since January 2020.
Rajakulasingham joined the pre-opening team for The Star Brisbane in February this year, with The Star releasing news of his appointment today.
“I’m so proud to be able to draw on all my experiences and be part of the team bringing such a city-changing hotel to life,” he said.
“Building a five-star hotel from the ground up is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity.
“With the help of our design team we are doing everything from scratch – ordering soap dishes and clothes hangers to choosing bedding, sheets, bathrobes, towels, hotel cutlery and crockery.
“We’re even road-testing pillows to ensure they are neither too firm or too soft and making sure they are allergy free.
“We’ve commissioned a local supplier for tailor-made microfibre bedding toppers, duvets and mattress protectors.
“We have also designed custom-made room attendant trolleys and will soon begin measuring existing team members for their new uniforms.”
Rajakulasingham will also oversee the recruitment of 350 more staff for hotel operations, who will work alongside the team moving over from Treasury Brisbane.
The Star Entertainment Group’s CEO Robbie Cooke said Rajakulasingham was the “ideal” choice for the GM role at The Star Grand in Brisbane.
“He is passionate about the industry and living proof of how to build a long-term career with an unwavering focus on creating superior guest experiences,” said Cooke.
“The Star is adding another 340 much-needed rooms to the Brisbane accommodation inventory and Rikesh has been personally inspecting every one of them as the hotel fit-out continues ahead of next year’s staged opening.”
“We are proud to be creating jobs and look to the future with confidence as the city counts down to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will begin opening in stages from April 2024. The development includes considerable event space, featuring a ballroom with capacity for 2,000 attendees.
