Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn to open in Walk Arcade redevelopment
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) last week announced plans for a dual-branded hotel as part of a $200 million redevelopment of The Walk Arcade.
The announcement was made at the 9th annual Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) held in Melbourne and will see the Holiday Inn and Hotel Indigo brands occupy the development after IHG signed a long-term agreement with Singapore-based investor Hua Sin Tay's Focus Ventures.
Upon completion in 2022, the development will become the first Australian dual-branded hotel, consisting of 272 keys for Holiday Inn Melbourne Bourke Street Mall and a further 181 keys for Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins.
Onsite amenities will include Food and Beverage outlets, a gym, meeting spaces and a unique guest lobby and room experience for each brand.
Urban.com.au highlighted updated designs for The Walk Arcade redevelopment earlier this year, after site owner Hua Sin Tay, submitted plans to redevelop The Walk Arcade which runs from Bourke Street Mall to Little Collins Street. The developer acquiried the site in 1993 for $18 million.
The dual-branded property will be near IHG's new Holiday Inn Express slated to open on Little Collins Street in 2020.
With such a large property and sought-after location, dual branding makes perfect sense. IHG has experience with dual branded properties in other markets, including the Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn Express in Singapore Katong, and a dual-branded EVEN Hotel and Holiday Inn Express planned for Auckland in 2020.
We are excited to bring Hotel Indigo’s neighbourhood story and Holiday Inn’s Joy of Travel together to provide guests of all types with the experience that appeals to them.
This long-term deal means Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn will have presence in the heart of Melbourne CBD for many years to come.- Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s senior director of development
Much consideration has been put into the plans to transform the property into an iconic Melbourne site that complements its strategic location. Together with our consultants, we have put forth a combined retail and hotel site plan that is able to attract top retailers from around the world.
The new hotel/retail development is projected to attract over $100 million of annual spending by visitors and shoppers. In addition, it will create over 1,000 new direct jobs and 900 indirect jobs for the State.- Tony Tai, spokesperson for Focus Ventures Pty Ltd
IHG has nearly 800,000 guest rooms and more than 5,300 hotels across nearly 100 countries. IHG's portfolio of brands, includes Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza, Even Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, Hualuxe, InterContinental, Kimpton Hotels and Resorts and Staybridge Suites.
Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins will become the second Hotel Indigo to open in Melbourne with Salta Properties developing a 170 room Hotel Indigo as part of their mixed-use development at 695-699 La Trobe Street in Docklands adjacent to Etihad Stadium and Harbour Esplanade.
No two Hotel Indigo properties are the same, with each drawing on the story of its local area to inspire every aspect of the hotel to help guests feel part of the destination.
That’s why Melbourne’s Little Collins Street is perfectly suited to showcase the story of Melbourne’s laneways. Holiday Inn Melbourne Bourke Street Mall will join the 16 Holiday Inn hotels operating across Australasia, including Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders.
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