The former David Jones building at the Hunter Street Mall will be home to QT Newcastle from 2020.

Event Hospitality has bolstered its QT Hotels pipeline to four, signing a management agreement with Iris Capital to develop its next destination in QT Newcastle, assisted by Colliers International.

Set to be housed within the city’s former David Jones building, the new hotel will retain the property’s historic exterior, in a situation similar to the former Gowings building the brand occupies in Sydney.

QT Newcastle will be a 106-room operation and will also feature a rooftop bar and signature dining concept. Situated on the corner of Perkins Street, the hotel will also be positioned central to the Hunter Street Mall and a short walk from the beach.

Event Hospitality CEO, Jane Hastings, said each new QT location was unique in how it applied its creative point of difference.

“Newcastle is Australia’s largest regional centre and with the $700 million Iris investment, combined with the $650 million NSW government investment, the city is being revitalised and QT will be at the heart of this project.”

Colliers International Director of Hotel Valuations, Christopher Milou, said QT Newcastle will be unlike anything the city has seen before.

“Currently, there is no true luxury boutique hotel operating in the Newcastle market that captures the essence of area, its history and its growing cosmopolitan feel and we believe that the characteristics of the heritage building and QT’s experience will fill this void.”

The announcement to add Newcastle to the QT map comes two months after confirmation the brand would open in Adelaide via a newbuild in 2021. QT Parramatta will also open in the same year, while Auckland will also come online in 2020 as the brand’s third hotel across the Tasman.