The first foundation stone of W Brisbane has been laid, commencing construction of the luxury hotel which is scheduled to open in 2017, in time for the Gold Coast Commonwealth games in 2018.
Part of a mixed-use development, which will cost more than one billion Australian dollars to complete, W Brisbane marks the re-entry of the W brand to Australia.
Located on 300 George Street by the Brisbane River, the mixed-use development is a joint venture between Shayher Group and Pau Jar Group of Taiwan and comprises three unique towers – W Brisbane will occupy one tower, while the other two towers will be used for premium office and commercial space and high-end residences. The development will also feature podium level retail outlets.
Brookfield Multiplex has been engaged to complete the first stage of the construction process, which will include the basement carpark, the retail and hotel facilities and the hotel tower. The development will create 5,000 extra jobs in Brisbane, with more than 350 people working on the site at any given time.
“We’re really excited to be working with Shayher Group and Brookfield Multiplex on this prestigious development project which will see the re-entry of W Hotels to Australia,” said Andrew Taylor, Director of Acquisitions & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Pacific.
“W Brisbane will bring a new level of luxury and service to Brisbane’s hospitality scene and a fresh lifestyle standard in this rapidly growing city. A stylish addition to the up and coming riverside area, W Brisbane will appeal to the new generation of domestic and international visitors to the city.”
Redefining luxury with innovative design, signature amenities and unique style, W Brisbane will offer 305 stylish guestroom, including 25 suites and an Extreme Wow Suite, the W brand’s reinterpretation of the traditional Presidential Suite. The smallest guest rooms will be 40 square metres; the largest room size in Brisbane currently.
W Brisbane will also feature more than 960 square metres of ultra-modern meeting and event space, as well as a 24-hour WIRED business centre, spa, FIT state-of-the-art workout facility, WET indoor heated swimming pool, and W Hotels The Store. In addition, the hotel will house three unique restaurants and bars, including an all-day dining restaurant, Pool Bar and the W Lounge. Guests can expect the W brand’s iconic Whatever/Whenever service philosophy, providing them with whatever they want, whenever they want it.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the construction of the six-star luxury W Hotel was a considerable vote of confidence for Brisbane and would be a welcome addition to Brisbane’s growing high-end accommodation sector.
“Not only does this enhance Brisbane’s reputation as a world-class national and international destination of choice, it is an example of the success of our Hotel Investment Strategy which was designed to attract new high-end hotels to our city,” Graham Quirk said.
Peter Sia, General Manager, Shayher Group said: “We are thrilled to have started work on the development, which will be constructed in three stages. The first tower, which W Brisbane will occupy, will be built first; work will then commence on the premium office space and high-end residences.”
“With Brisbane’s healthy economy and status as a key tourist destination, it’s a great time to be investing in Brisbane and we’re looking forward to working with both Starwood and Brookfield Multiplex to ensure we set a new benchmark for hotels, office space and residences in the city centre,” he added.
Pictured above: L-R Andrew Taylor, Director of Acquisitions & Development at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Pacific, Andrew Henebery, Construction Manager at Brookfield Multiplex, Peter Sia, General Manager at Shayher Group and Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.