InterContinental takes over Rydges in Perth
InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a management agreement with UNIR Hotels P/L which will see the iconic, five star brand occupy a prime location on the corner of King and Hay Streets in the Perth CBD.
After 18 years of successful management, UNIR Hotels has decided to redevelop the Rydges Hotel and the site will be converted into a luxurious 240-room InterContinental hotel in the heart of the city. When the new hotel commences operations in early 2017, InterContinental Perth will be the sixth InterContinental property in Australia, bringing the brand’s renowned luxury experience to another key Australian city.
Situated in a prime location in Perth’s Central Business District, the hotel will be nestled among the city’s top business and leisure facilities, including Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, His Majesty’s Theatre, a stone’s throw from the prestigious King Street shopping precinct which houses luxury brands such as Prada, LV, Gucci and Chanel.
InterContinental Perth will embody a combination of residential luxury and business efficiency. As a hotel at the heart of the CBD, InterContinental Perth will feature executive function spaces, including a boardroom and a number of intimate meeting rooms. There will be a business centre for guests who require access to business facilities on the go; otherwise in-room technology and high-speed internet access throughout the hotel will give guests the option to work in the privacy of their room, or over a glass of wine in the Club Lounge.
To add to the thriving F&B scene, a bar-and-restaurant concept will be developed. It will pay homage to the great food and beverage options in Western Australia and be appropriate for InterContinental’s international clientele.
Karin Sheppard, the in-coming COO for Australasia & Japan, IHG said, “The signing of InterContinental Perth is pivotal to IHG’s expansion plans in Australasia. This hotel will be one where comfort is balanced with sophistication, and elegance does not interfere with practicality. We are delighted to be working with UNIR Hotels to bring the InterContinental brand to Perth, complementing our existing distribution in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.”
InterContinental Perth will be the third IHG property in the city, joining Holiday Inn Perth and Crowne Plaza Perth.
Perth lord mayor the Lisa Scaffidi has welcomed the announcement. “The fact that IHG is bringing the luxurious InterContinental brand back to Perth in this central location is very pleasing,” she said. “The property is in the heart of our central business district and I have no doubt the proposed refurbishment will give a new face to a property that is well known and utilised by visitors to our city of business and leisure purposes.”
Carl Tong, CEO, UNIR Group, said: “InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is recognised as one of the world’s leading hotel brands – one that has been gathering strength in Asia Pacific. We are pleased to be working with IHG to develop what we believe will be an iconic luxury property in the heart of Perth – which will enable our guests from around the world to experience quality Australian hospitality.”
