$75 million Holiday Inn Geelong Hotel gets approval

Franzé Developments

Franzé Developments has been granted planning approval from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for a $150 million Geelong development.

It will be the largest mixed use project in the region and will include a $75 million Holiday Inn & Suites.

This will be the first in Australia and the largest new hotel project in the region in almost 20 years.

In late 2017, global hotel operator InterContinental Hotels Group signed a 20-year management agreement to operate the 180 bed hotel.

With demolition already underway, construction is scheduled to commence in late 2018. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2020. It will include an all-day dining restaurant and bar, swimming pool, gym, parking and 300 square metres of meeting facilities, including a function room for 250 people.

When it does open that year, it will focus on the longer stay segment of the tourism market.

The project design team is Architectus, the design studio behind 1 Bligh Street, Sydney and 383 La Trobe Street, Melbourne (in collaboration with world renowned architect Ateliers Jean Nouvel). Hansen Partnership will manage the project’s urban planning.

It will be located at 44 Ryrie Street within the Geelong Activity Centre Zone, the 2700 square metre gateway site. In addition to the hotel, it will also comprise 1000 square metres ground floor retail, 7400 square metres office space and 24 residential apartments.

All these will be connected by a highly activated street level plane with public access.

There will be a a 90 metre northern frontage to Ryrie Street with a physical split. The plan is to create a public thoroughfare linking Ryrie Street to Cuzens Place with the offices and apartments having access to to communal outdoor spaces.

A vertical green wall is also proposed to face Ryrie Street, creating a backdrop for the plaza and connecting the planting from ground level to the podium terraces.

Leon Gettler - 6th August 2018