Carlton gets an international hotel

The Italian-accented Melbourne suburb of Carlton has its first international hotel brand. Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton, owned by Pelligra Group, has just opened.

Located on Swanston Street on the fringe of Melbourne CBD and overlooking Lincoln Square, the hotel is part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts stable.

It has 107 rooms, a flexible lobby, Fico Carlton Restaurant and Bar, and over 270sqm of meetings space.

The hotel is being promoted as "a vibrant cosmopolitan hub" and is in the heart of Melbourne’s "Innovation District".

The lobby bar and restaurant celebrate Carlton’s historic Italian influence, while the rooftop venue has views of the Melbourne skyline.

New international hotel approved for Sunshine Coast

Queensland's booming Sunshine Coast is set to get another international hotel. 

Construction of a new $150 million Crowne Plaza Maroochydore by Felix Capital will commence in April next year. 

The new Crowne Plaza, on Ocean Street, has been approved by Sunshine Coast Council. 

“This is an incredible announcement for Maroochydore and the Sunshine Coast. Crowne Plaza will provide much needed leisure and business tourism accommodation as well as community entertainment facilities for the region when it opens in 2028,” said Michael Maroun, director at Felix Capital. 

Crowne Plaza Maroochydore will feature 180 guest rooms alongside more than 900 square metres of and event space including a 600sqm ballroom. 

The hotel will also include a 30-metre pool and spa, gym, sauna, and secure basement parking across two levels. The food and beverage offering will include an all-day restaurant and a 160-seat signature dining venue, as well as an outdoor pool bar and lounge alongside a lobby bar.

Part of this development - sitting on top of the hotel, AER Residence will feature 24 luxury two- and three-bedroom apartments over four floors.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said Crowne Plaza will be an important addition to the region’s tourism and business sector.

“The Sunshine Coast requires more than 2,400 additional hotel rooms, or around 10 new hotels, to support our tourism industry into the future," she said. .

“Council took a bold step to create incentives, and it is having an impact. Crowne Plaza ticks every box in terms of providing important tourism infrastructure to boost our region’s appeal as a year-round destination and we look forward to construction commencing in April next year.” 

There is a targeted opening for the hotel in 2028. 

Change of plans for new Adelaide hotel

 

There has been a change of direction for the new IHG Hotels & Resorts property in the city of Salisbury, north of Adelaide, which will open later this year.

A joint venture between IHG, Pelligra Group and ONE7, the new hotel was originally announced as a 130-room Holiday Inn & Suites - but will now be a more upscale Crowne Plaza property.

The Mawson Lakes property has "undergone a transformation during the development phase" and been re-branded as Crowne Plaza Mawson Lakes.

The new hotel, which will be focused on the meetings and events space, .is scheduled to open in the second half of 2024.

The property will now feature 155 rooms, three meeting spaces across 442 sqm, a fitness centre and a bar and restaurant.

Pelligra Group, currently the owner of Holiday Inn Werribee, Holiday Inn Dandenong, and Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, is also set to add three more IHG-branded hotels to its portfolio, including the soon-to-open Crowne Plaza Carlton and Holiday Inn Richmond.

“IHG and Pelligra Group share a remarkable partnership, operating three hotels together with three more in the pipeline," said Matt Tripolone, managing director for IHG Hotels & Resorts Australasia & Pacific.

"We are delighted that Ross and the Pelligra team envision such a positive outlook for the premium travel segment in Australia, leading them to invest in elevating this asset to the premium sector. This move brings exceptional iterations of the Crowne Plaza brand to Adelaide.”

Ross Pelligra, chairman of Pelligra Group, said: “We're excited to be expanding our IHG brand portfolio to include our second Crowne Plaza, in Adelaide.”

Geelong to get new 200-room Crowne Plaza hotel

Geelong's new convention centre will be anchored by a Crowne Plaza hotel, the IHG Group announced.

The new-build 200-room Crowne Plaza Geelong will open in 2026, part of the Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre precinct development project, which forms part of the Geelong City Deal - a collaboration between the Australian and Victorian governments and the City of Greater Geelong.

The new complex will feature a 1,000-seat venue, two large exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, conference facilities and flexible event spaces.

New retail spaces will feature hospitality offerings, and a large public plaza will become a feature of the Geelong waterfront.

The Crowne Plaza Geelong is expected to include suites up to 57sqm in size, a restaurant and bar offering, as well as a pool and gym.

And, while it will be connected to the convention and exhibition centre the hotel itself will also feature meeting spaces.

With the new 180-room Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong due to open in September this year, IHG is on track to be the largest global hotel operator in Geelong.

It continues IHG's suburban and regional expansion in Victoria that has also seen it add Holiday Inn Dandenong earlier in the year, Holiday Inn Werribee in 2021 and InterContinental Sorrento in 2022.

It will also open six new hotels in Greater Melbourne in the next 12 months under the Crowne Plaza, voco, Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn brands.

Cameron Burke, IHG Hotels & Resorts' Director of Development for Australasia and Pacific, said: “We're thrilled to be planning this partnership with Plenary Group and extending our reach across regional Victoria with the Crowne Plaza brand.

“This is an incredibly exciting development, and we will be delighted to be part of a precinct that will become a crown jewel for the city of Geelong."

Toasting a birthday celebration

Bookings are open for the 10th anniversary edition of the Hunter Valley Wine & Beer Festival on Saturday, June 18.

After managing to stage a successful festival in 2021 between various state and regional lockdowns, the birthday event is being billed as the "biggest-ever".

The revamped Hunter Valley Wine & Beer Festival will feature 50 wineries and more than 10 craft brewers.

The festival - which is held at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley - will be held both indoors and outdoors between 11am and 5pm.

Among the exhibitors are some of the valley’s best-known wineries including Scarborough, Draytons and Audrey Wilkinson, along with boutique and organic vineyards such as Macquariedale Organic Wines and Tamburlaine Organic Wines.



Brewers to be showcased include Sydney Brewery Hunter Valley, Iron Bark Hill Brewhouse, Lake Macquarie Brewing, Hope Brewery and MaltNHops.

In between tastings (which will also include local cheese and other artisan products), festival-goers can enjoy entertainment from local musicians, food from a wide range of providores, and the opportunity to relax in the spacious lawns of the Crowne Plaza.

The Hunter Valley Wine & Beer Festival is a family-friendly event, with children receiving complimentary entry to a variety of activities including a jumping castle, train rides, carousel, petting zoo and face painting.

A bus service will be available leaving the Novotel Newcastle and Rydges Newcastle, see details on the website. For those who wish to spend the weekend, Crowne Plaza accommodation packages are available.  

General admission tickets are available for $15 per person ($25 on the day) through Moshtix (booking fees apply). Tastings are available for $2 each (30ml wine, 100ml beer/cider).

See www.huntervalleywinefestival.com