Darwin Convention Centre Hotel starts Waterfront transformation
A new hotel, which will be integrated with the Darwin Convention Centre, will be built at the Darwin Waterfront.
The Northern Territory Government will be calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from the private sector to develop the Darwin Convention Centre Hotel, to join the thriving tourism, residential and hospitality offerings at the Darwin Waterfront.
Investors and developers will be able to submit Expressions of Interest in the coming weeks.
The NT Government and Darwin Waterfront Corporation have appointed commercial real estate and investor specialists, CBRE Hotels, to run the international campaign to attract an experienced investor, developer and operator for the project.
CBRE Hotels has already commenced market sounding for the opportunity as a precursor to the EOI process.
The Darwin Convention Centre Hotel will provide new, upscale accommodation options for corporate and leisure visitors, activate the Darwin Waterfront, and drive growth in high-yield corporate and convention markets.
The Convention Centre Hotel development site is on Stokes Hill Road directly adjacent to the Convention Centre and offers spectacular views across Darwin Harbour and Waterfront.
The hotel is expected to offer between 200 – 250 rooms.
The Darwin Convention Centre Hotel is part of the first stage in the redesigned Darwin Waterfront Masterplan also publicly released today, which will redevelop the Waterfront into one of Australia’s leading integrated tourism and lifestyle destinations through a world-class surf park, iconic snorkelling lagoon, new temperature controlled pools and countless additional food and beverage offerings. A flythrough of the new Masterplan can be found here.
The EOI follows a Registration of Interest (ROI) process for a luxury hotel, which identified initial market interest in developing new accommodation at the Waterfront. It also identified that a Convention Centre Hotel has a stronger commercial case than a luxury hotel, with the Convention Centre Hotel to benefit from continued corporate business and events.
The Territory’s economic position is bouncing back from COVID-19 with investors actively looking for projects to undertake.
Experienced proponents interested in the opportunity can contact CBRE Hotels for more information or visit www.invest.nt.gov.au
Quotes attributed to Chief Minister Natasha Fyles:
“The Territory Labor Government is working to grow a $40 billion economy by 2030.
“The Darwin Convention Centre Hotel is listed in the NT infrastructure plan and pipeline 2022 as one of the key projects that align with the strategy’s investment objectives, in particular, to invest in the right infrastructure, in the right place, at the right time.
“The hotel will be an important development to attract visitors and new business to the Territory as we continue to grow our relationships with our international neighbours.”
Quotes attributed to Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Nicole Manison:
“Transforming our iconic waterfront will reinvigorate our tourism industry, and we’re excited to welcome visitors to a brand new international hotel surrounded by restaurants, bars and must see attractions.
A new hotel will attract workers and visitors alike to the Northern Territory and provide ongoing jobs in the tourism hospitality sector.
This is a really exciting development in the future of Territory tourism but also for locals who love our waterfront precinct, to see it become even bigger and better.”
Quotes attributed to CBRE Hotels Director, Tom Gibson:
“The Darwin Convention Centre Hotel is an incredible opportunity to secure a strategic foothold in one of Asia Pacific’s fastest growing hotel markets.
“For the twelve months through August 2022, Darwin recorded the strongest RevPAR increase in Australia, increasing by 47% when compared to the same period through August 2019.”
Quotes attributed to Darwin Waterfront Corporation Board Chair, Richard Fejo:
“Having a Hotel integrated with the Convention Centre will be a game changer for the Darwin Waterfront.
“This is the critical first step in the delivery of the Waterfront Masterplan, which builds on our connection to water to develop a truly world-class tourism, business events, hospitality and lifestyle destination.”
