New technology, the arrival of international boutique hotel brands and a change in design emphasis have all played a part in the Australian hotel industry’s dramatic expansion and transformation, according to a Tourism Accommodation Australia report.
Australia’s unprecedented hotel growth began three years ago. With 272 hotels and 45,134 rooms in the pipeline, the Australian market is set to keep growing. Melbourne has the biggest construction pipeline, with 10,208 rooms either approved or under construction. Sydney follows closely in second with 6,084. Perth also saw large growth with 1,755 rooms coming in the next two years.
Boutique brands like Aloft and the Autograph Collection from Marriott, Curio from Hilton, MGallery from Accor, Indigo from IHG, and Ovolo Hotels among others have joined the mix of designer hotel brands like QT, Art Series and Veriu, pushing the boundary forward.
The report pointed to technology like mobile tablets, voice-activated digital assistants, keyless entry, and wide WiFi distribution (99 percent of hotels in Australia offer WiFi) all leading the way.
“The changes are being driven by changes in traveller’s demands, particularly the millennial generation. Technology has been a key focus for hotels. Not only are most Australian hotels offering at least some level of free Wifi, but connection speeds are faster and the new breed of hotels are offering casting capability to their in-room screens,” said Carol Giuseppi, CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia.
