Hotels predicted to drive Melbourne's economic revival

                                                Novotel & ibis Styles, Melbourne Airport

A new generation of international hotels will be a key driver for the revival of Melbourne tourism prior to the re-opening of international travel, Simon McGrath, Chief Executive Officer of Accor Pacific, Australia’s largest hotel operator, has predicted.

While corporate and non-leisure travel to Melbourne has dipped over the past year, impacted by the closure of local and international borders, and is likely to remain subdued for the next 12 months, McGrath forecasts that leisure travel will shape a recovery.

“Melbourne is one of the world’s greatest cities and, over the next two years, we are bringing eight hotels and 1,583 rooms to the city," he said. 

"That is an investment of over $700 million by a variety of owners. This will create around 600 jobs, while boosting the appeal of the city and the quality of accommodation available.

“As well as the new Mövenpick hotel, which will open in June, we will be opening new hotels which include SO/ (shown below), 25hours, Mercure and Peppers - before the end of 2023. 

"These new properties will complement our current portfolio of 43 hotels in Melbourne, offering even greater choice for travellers.

”People love to visit Melbourne for its world-leading events calendar – for its sport, arts and culture. Sporting events such as the Australian Open, the AFL and Formula One are also tourism events, attracting thousands into the city. Even without international travel, events can contribute to the city making a serious tourism comeback.”

Accor is Australia’s leading operator of hotels, and is set to unveil the second of its Mövenpick branded hotels in Australia next month, in a prime location in the Melbourne central business district. 

Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer follows the debut of the brand in Hobart earlier this year and brings to the Victorian capital a design-focussed hotel that captures the vibrancy of Melbourne’s dining and fashion district.

The Mövenpick opening follows the addition in 2019 of the lifestyle-focused Hotel Chadstone, part of Accor’s MGallery collection. 

The proposed Accor hotel opening schedule:  Mövenpick Melbourne on Spencer, June 2021 (172 rooms); Mercure Doncaster, 2022 (181 rooms); Novotel & ibis Styles, Melbourne Airport 2022/23 (464 rooms); SO/ Melbourne, 2023 (288 rooms); 25hours Melbourne, 2023 (203 rooms);  Peppers Richmond, 2023 (83);  Mercure La Trobe, 2023 (192 rooms).