IHG is set to bring its luxury and lifestyle brand InterContinental to Brisbane for the first time at the former Hilton hotel on Elizabeth Street.
Following its closure last month after nearly 40 years, the ISTP-owned property is set to reopen in early June under a long-term management agreement with IHG.
The reopening will mark the beginning of a two-year conversion project, which will see the hotel integrated with ISTP’s Wintergarden shopping centre and the Regent Theatre to form a retail, dining, entertainment and hospitality precinct.
IHG said the luxury offering will be enhanced in line with the InterContinental brand hallmarks, with the hotel’s original Modernist design features by renowned architect Harry Seidler retained.
Speaking exclusively to HM, IHG Hotels and Resorts Director of Development, Australasia and Pacific, Cameron Burke, said the signing is the latest in an exciting chapter for the InterContinental brand.
“As the world’s first and largest luxury hotel brand, InterContinental has incredible resonance both globally and locally, which is essential in a market like Brisbane with strong domestic demand and growing international interest in the lead up to the Olympics,” Burke said.
“Building on this legacy, the brand continues to gain momentum, with the exceptional transformation of InterContinental Sydney in 2022, the opening of InterContinental Auckland in 2024 and the recent announcement of InterContinental Barossa.”
“We knew it would take a special property to bring our iconic InterContinental brand to life in Brisbane and we are incredibly proud to partner with ISPT in support of the rejuvenation of this incredible asset and we look forward to creating an indelible beacon of hospitality for Brisbane,” Burke added.
On completion, the hotel will feature 321 guest rooms, four restaurants and bars and expansive conference and events facilities.
“We sought a brand that would epitomise luxury, honour the legacy of the building, and become a cornerstone of the vibrant precinct we’re developing,” said ISPT Head of Development – Office, Industrial, Retail and Mixed Use, Tom Waters.
“Leveraging ISPT’s expertise in placemaking and curating urban experiences, this precinct is set to transform Brisbane’s CBD.
“It will seamlessly integrate the Regent Theatre, Wintergarden retail and dining offering, alongside a world-class InterContinental Hotel.”
“Together, we share a vision to see the hotel completely revitalised and we’re thrilled to be embarking on this transformative project with IHG.”
South East Queensland’s ‘Golden Era’
With the clock counting down to the 2032 Olympic Games, Burke said that South East Queensland is fast becoming Australia’s most dynamic hospitality hotspot, with transformative infrastructure projects and a booming tourism sector prompting record investment.
“South East Queensland is a key strategic market for IHG,” Burke told HM.
“The region’s strong population growth and significant investment in public infrastructure projects is creating a wave of new hotel development opportunities that IHG is well placed to capture.
“With land values presenting a more compelling proposition than those in Sydney and Melbourne, we consider South East Queensland to be a high-growth market and are expecting the region to be particularly attractive for developers and investors over the next decade.”
InterContinental Brisbane becomes the third InterContinental property in Queensland, joining InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef and InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort.
IHG Hotels and Resorts currently has 69 hotels in Australasia operating under nine brands – Six Senses, InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette Collection, Hotel Indigo, Voco, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express – with another 26 properties in its development pipeline.