Australia’s biggest luxury hotel operator to open new hotels as occupancy rates continue to improve Australia’s biggest luxury hotel operator to open new hotels as occupancy rates continue to improve
Despite border closures and travel restrictions, Australia’s biggest luxury hotel operator, Marriott, is going ahead with plans to open a series of new hotels in 2021.
The first JW Marriott hotel on the Gold Coast opened just before Christmas and will be followed by the opening of the group’s latest 294-room hotel – W Melbourne on Collins Street.
The new Melbourne hotel will open on 4 February, one of five set to open this year.
Marriott's area vice-president for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Sean Hunt stated, "I hope the state borders reopen as soon as is safe to do so, but we remain committed to opening our new hotels this year.
"Unrestricted domestic travel and having planes fly with greater frequency continues to be the key to the industry recovering at a faster rate."
Mr Hunt said he was "cautiously optimistic" about 2021, even though interstate bookings have dropped recently due to the latest state border closures and restrictions.
According to November’s capital city performance figures, Melbourne’s path to recovery will be long and potentially arduous, highlighted by an occupancy rate below 30 per cent following one of the world's longest lockdowns.
In comparison Sydney was sitting at 41 per cent occupancy rate, Brisbane at 49 per cent and Perth at 56 per cent.
However, looking at the Marriott’s overall performance there are signs of life.
Occupancy rates almost doubled to 50 per cent in November across the group’s national portfolio. A similar level is expected for the month of December. This is well up on occupancy rates back in April at the height of the pandemic, when the hotel chain’s occupancy was in single and teen digits.
Irit Jackson, 13th January 2021
