The FINANCIAL — Travellers to Geelong will soon be introduced to the ‘Joy of Travel’, with IHG on November 20 announcing a 20-year management agreement with Franzé Developments to open and operate Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong, the largest hotel in the city.
Opening in 2020, the 190-room property will be the first new hotel in Geelong in more than twenty years, signalling a renewed outlook for the vibrant Victorian coastal city. It’s also IHG’s first Holiday Inn hotel in Australia to include a ‘suites’ offering, with 40 suites intended for the longer stay segment.
Franzé Developments announced that it had acquired the central CBD site in April, highlighting plans to build Geelong’s largest mixed-use development with a Gross Floor Area of over 33,000m2, including more than close to 10,000m2 of retail and office space, 24 modern residences, co-working space, and the flagship Holiday Inn hotel, according to IHG.
The hotel itself will boast an all-day dining restaurant and bar, swimming pool, gym, parking and a 300m2 of meeting facilities including a function room for 250 people.
Karin Sheppard, IHG’s Chief Operating Officer for Australasia & Japan, said: “We believe the joy of travel is for everyone, and it’s that philosophy that’s made the Holiday Inn brand family the largest in the world. It has certainly been a story of success for IHG here in Australasia, with 20 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels already open and 9 in the pipeline, mainly in large cities and airport locations. Now we are thrilled that forward-looking owners like Franzé Developments see even further opportunities for affordable, enjoyable hotels in satellite cities like Geelong.”Paul Franzé, Founder & Managing Director at Franzé Developments, commented: “Franzé Developments has been a leader in retail and commercial development in Melbourne for a number of years, and I’m now very excited to partner with IHG as we move into the hotel development space. Geelong welcomes around 2.2 million overnight visitors annually, but is dramatically underrepresented by quality hotels. The Holiday Inn brand is known and loved by travellers all around the world, so I can’t imagine a better fit for a world-class city like Geelong. With a prime CBD location in close proximity to the station, hospital, university, offices and government entities, I am confident that Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong is going to be a story of success.”
IHG currently has 47 hotels operating under four brands across Australasia: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express with a further 15 in the pipeline including Hotel Indigo and EVEN Hotels.
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