Robert Whyte’s Ibis project near Sydney Airport gets go-ahead

BUSINESSMAN Robert Whyte is spearheading the development of an international hotel near Sydney airport, winning approval for the project just before Christmas.

 Robert Whyte (Photo : LinkedIn)

The former friend and business associate of the late Kerry Packer is expected to brand the hotel, at Mascot, an Ibis Styles, according to the Miller Street Partners website promoting the project.

Miller Street Partners, a company co-founded by Mr Whyte in 2008, won Botany City Council approval to develop the 251-room hotel and car park on the site bounded by Baxter and O’Riordan streets, in December, the council said.

Miller Street Partners said new hotel supply in the Mascot area had been low in the past five years with the precinct near the airport consistently achieving hotel room occupancies of more than 80 per cent. It has struck a revenue sharing agreement with French hotel giant Accor which runs the Ibis Styles brand.

“Miller Street Partners have secured a licence agreement from the adjoining Park and Fly commercial car park — for hotel guests to utilise the car parking and airport transfer facilities provided by Park and Fly,’’ the website added.

The development application for a 3.5 to 4 star hotel was lodged on behalf of Miller Street Partners by Construction Assignments, which recently completed the Hydro Majestic Hotel restoration in Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains.

Construction of the hotel is not expected to start until the second quarter with the developers expected to meet the demands of various railway authorities.

Apart from the eight-level hotel, the development plans include meeting rooms, a restaurant, bars, a gymnasium and small ground-floor car park.

Property developers, investors and owners are targeting the Sydney airport precinct given the area’s high hotel occupancies despite the opening of a Rydges Hotel in 2013.

Jerry Schwartz, the nation’s largest private hotel owner, recently sold his 250-room Sydney Airport Holiday Inn Hotel to Hong Kong interests for a bullish $53 million.

Miller Street Partners was started in 2008 with Mr Whyte, then a major shareholder of the Trafalgar Group. But company records show that Mr Whyte ceased his directorship of Miller Street Partners in May, 2014. Sources said he is heavily involved in the hotel project.

Source : The Australian  Lisa Allen  January 20th 2015