IHG has revealed at the 9th annual Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) in Melbourne today it is set to open its first Australian dual-branded hotel by 2022 with the signing of Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins and Holiday Inn Melbourne Bourke Street Mall, in the heart of the CBD.
The $200 million mixed-use development, currently trading as The Walk Arcade, will front onto Bourke Street Mall on one side and Little Collins Street on the other, allowing Holiday Inn to make the most of the most of the pedestrianised retail haven and Hotel Indigo to bring the edgy laneway neighbourhood to life.
There will be 453 rooms in total; 181 in Hotel Indigo and 272 in Holiday Inn. Onsite amenities include F&B outlets, a gym, meeting spaces and a unique guest lobby and room experience for each brand.
Commenting on the latest development, IHG’s senior director of development Abhijay Sandilya said it just made sense to dual brand the properties due to the sought-after location and the sheer scale of the building.
“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,” he added.
Tony Tai, spokesperson for owner Focus Ventures Pty Ltd, said: “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”, he added.
Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins is the second Hotel Indigo to be signed in Melbourne and the fourth in Australia, following Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, Sydney’s Central precinct, and Melbourne’s Docklands.
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 complements the 16 Holiday Inn hotels already open across Australasia, including Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders, and is the latest in a string of Holiday Inn signings including Sydney Central, Melbourne Werribee and Geelong.