Ibis selected for first Mackay airport hotel
Accor will launch its pioneering economy hotel brand, ibis, in Mackay following the signing of an agreement with North Queensland Airports/ Mackay Airport P/L, who will develop a new 152-room hotel at Mackay Airport.
The multi-million dollar mixed use hotel development will be located in the Mackay Airport precinct, just outside the main terminal building. The hotel will also be the first purpose-built international standard economy hotel in Mackay and will join a network of over 60 ibis hotels in Australia and more than 1,000 worldwide.
Chief operating officer, Simon McGrath, said this will be a key development for Mackay as domestic air travel between major and regional Australian cities continues to grow.
“The economy hotel sector is the fastest growing market in global travel, and is set to grow even faster with the rapid expansion of low-cost carriers servicing regional cities. The addition of quality and affordable accommodation at Mackay Airport will stimulate travel from a range of markets and cater to the needs of the various sectors that require airport accommodation on a regular basis,” Mr McGrath said.
“Mackay Airport is one of Queensland’s busiest regional airports and currently handles around one million passengers annually, which is only set to grow, making new infrastructure such as the ibis hotel crucial for Mackay and its tourism industry and to service the major resource centres of the Bowen and Galilee Basins.”
NQA chief executive officer, Kevin Brown, said, “The hotel project and the development of the associated airport infrastructure around it represent an investment by NQA of around $30 million. It is the first development in our 20 year vision for Mackay Airport which represents an almost $1billion investment in the future of Mackay.”
Construction of the hotel is underway with a scheduled opening in mid-2015.
