Heritage-listed Launceston landmark to be reborn as 5-star Pullman hotel
Accor announces debut of Pullman brand in Tasmania
Tasmanian urban regeneration specialists, Red Panda Property, announced today that Accor, Australia’s largest hotel operator, will manage its first hotel project – a five-star Pullman hotel in the heart of Launceston – under a hotel management agreement.
Designed by one of Asia-Pacific’s leading design practices, DKO, the $45 million Pullman Launceston will regenerate a heritage-listed educational building into a prestigious 139-room hotel with restaurants, bars, and meeting and events spaces.
The project – on a hillside on Wellington Street overlooking the city – is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027, marking the debut of Accor’s Pullman brand in Tasmania.
The development site has cultural and heritage significance, and the hotel design will sympathetically combine heritage re-use and new-build to create a dynamic new tourism and hospitality precinct. This visionary approach is supported by specialist hotel development advisors Cre8tive Hotels & Lifestyle.
The hotel tower will be the second tallest building in Launceston, with views of the city and adjacent Tamar River. The top of the hotel will feature a rooftop bar showcasing local produce and wines from the Tamar Valley.
Red Panda Property is a proudly owned Tasmanian real estate development company that specialises in urban regeneration projects that deliver positive social, cultural, and economic returns for the communities in which they develop. Their projects include residential, commercial, retail, and cultural developments, and they have begun investing in hospitality assets.
Red Panda Property Owner and Director, Andrew McCullagh, said the project would significantly elevate Launceston’s tourism infrastructure while delivering economic and cultural benefits to the local community.
He said: “Preserving Launceston’s heritage was our foremost consideration, and our plans to regenerate the area will enable visitors to enjoy a rich combination of history and modernity in the one precinct.
“With Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Royal Park as neighbours, we will build a natural linkage to other recent developments and the Seaport precinct where guests can take river cruises.
“We anticipate Pullman Launceston becoming a food and entertainment hub for the region, with the rooftop bar being a ‘must visit’ venue for both locals and travellers.
“This is our first hotel development, and we are very pleased to be partnering with Accor, who have unprecedented experience working in the Launceston market.”
Pullman Launceston will be Accor’s sixth hotel in Launceston and will bring one of the world’s premium hotel brands to the northern Tasmanian city.
Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer PM&E, Adrian Williams, is thrilled Red Panda Property selected Accor as the operator of the prestigious project.
He said: “This will be an outstanding hotel and the international brand recognition of Pullman will help attract tourists and conferences to Launceston.
“With nature and food-based tourism being such powerful drivers of travel, Launceston and Tasmania has so much to offer domestic and international travellers.
“The Tasmanian brand is globally admired as being synonymous with excellence, purity, sustainability and premium quality, and with Launceston attracting new direct air services, we believe the arrival of the Pullman can further energise the State’s tourism sector.”
Launceston, Australia’s third oldest city, is renowned as a gateway to world-class trekking and adventure activities, as well as for its rich food and wine culture. In 2021, Launceston was named as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, one of only 36 cities worldwide.
Pullman Launceston will be an ideal base for visitors to the city, with its peerless views and easy proximity to Royal Park and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.
Pullman is one of Australia’s most desired and sustainably-minded premium hotel brands with 19 hotels and resorts in key metropolitan and leisure destinations, and with more in the pipeline. The Pullman brand is known for its energy, distinctiveness and unique character, offering a diverse guest experience for every type of traveller.
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