AccorHotels_1200689_L-R Danesh Bamji, General Manager Franchise AccorHotels Australia, Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP, Rod Laing, CEO Wests Entertainment Gr

Mercure Tamworth was officially opened last Friday (Feb 10), with a ceremonial plaque unveiling led by the Honourable Barnaby Joyce MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources and Federal Member for New England, together with Danesh Bamji, General Manager Franchise Australia, AccorHotels and John McClelland, President, Wests Entertainment Group.

Wests Entertainment Group will operate the three-storey, 52-room Mercure Tamworth in partnership with AccorHotels, a welcome addition to West Tamworth League Club on Phillip Street.

In officially unveiling Mercure Tamworth, the Joyce MP said the new partnership between AccorHotels and Wests Entertainments Group signifies a confidence in the region’s economy and potential for tourism growth.

“This AUD$12 million investment recognises the opportunity Tamworth offers as a regional city and creates 35 local jobs, as well as a brand new hotel for Australia’s country music capital,” he said.

“Wests Entertainment Group has a 50 year history in Tamworth and this latest investment with a major operator like AccorHotels recognises that Tamworth offers prime business opportunities as a major tourism growth centre.

“We must decentralise and spread job opportunities across Australia because it’s not just homebuyers who get more value for money in regional cities there are significant savings for both government and business,” Joyce said.

AccorHotels’ General Manager Franchise Australia, Danesh Bamji, said: “We are delighted to officiate the hotel’s opening with the Honourable Barnaby Joyce MP and congratulate Rod Laing and his team at Wests Entertainment Group on the completion of this exciting hotel project.

“Mercure Tamworth compliments AccorHotels’ existing economy hotel, the ibis Styles Tamworth and joins a network of more than 40 Mercure hotels across Australia and over 700 worldwide,” Bamji said.

The internationally-branded midscale hotel is located within the League Club’s precinct which offers food and beverage outlets, entertainment venues, a stadium, gaming and conferencing facilities. Hotel guest facilities include a heated swimming pool, gymnasium, meeting rooms, a shuttle bus service and direct access to the Leagues Club.

Wests Entertainment Group CEO, Rod Laing, said: “In addition to enhancing our existing facilities to the benefit of our current members, the Mercure Tamworth’s opening will attract new business opportunities and leisure guests to the New England region.

“We are extremely excited to be partnering with AccorHotels. We believe the hotel will guarantee a new accommodation experience for those visiting Tamworth and the region any time of the year,” Laing said.

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management