Luxury hotel planned for Darwin

The Northern Territory Government has identified a gap in the hotel accommodation market, with a recent luxury hotel market analysis undertaken by AEC Group finding Darwin’s current luxury hotel market is relatively small and does not compare favourably to other capital cities. As such, it is now seeking expressions of interest to develop a world-class luxury hotel in Darwin.

A luxury hotel in Darwin is considered a critical economic enabler due to its potential to fill this gap in demand for a high-end business and recreational visitor accommodation. The proposed development would help attract more tourists and develop the city’s reputation as a unique business events destination by broadening the range of accommodation available.

The vision is for a vibrant, integrated development of world class standard which will deliver luxury accommodation offerings not previously seen in Darwin.

The development would include between 50 to 80 luxury rooms with spacious suites, the finest amenities and finishes, true luxury service and a design that complements the tropical Darwin lifestyle and climate. Associated facilities would include, but are not limited to, 24 hour room service and full service business centre, recreational facilities, boutique retail shops and services, and bars and signature restaurants.

The luxury hotel will be located in or around the Darwin CBD and the NT Government is prepared to consider proposals located on a range of different sites.

Where a proponent does not have access to its own site, the NT Government is prepared to offer a Government owned site.

A suitable site has been identified in Darwin’s CBD, comprising of around 9000m2 of undeveloped land, with 120 meters of direct waterfront frontage, and within walking distance to Darwin’s key business and tourism centres, including the Darwin Waterfront and Convention Centre.

Invitations for Expressions of Interest are now open and will close in January 2016.

The process for selecting a preferred proponent will comprise of two phases, involving an initial non-binding Expression of Interest phase, followed by a short-listing process. Short-listed bidders would then be invited to submit a fully developed and costed binding offer, with a preferred proponent expected to be announced mid next year and the new hotel completed in 2019.

The development represents a unique and exciting opportunity for the successful proponent to contribute to, and benefit from, economic growth associated with an expanding Territory economy and a national focus on developing Northern Australia.

The Northern Territory boasts abundant natural resources, a strong oil and gas industry, major construction and infrastructure projects, and mining, agricultural and aqua-cultural industry opportunities.

Over the past decade the Northern Territory economy has outperformed most other parts of Australia, achieving higher workforce participation rates, household income and population growth. This trend is expected to continue, with forecasted growth of more than 4% per annum for the next five years, opening up a wide range of opportunities for investors keen to capitalise on its proximity to Asia and diversified economic base.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia