IHG Hotels and Resorts has unveiled plans to bring its Crowne Plaza brand to Geelong, Victoria. The development will be in partnership with Plenary Group. The new facility is set to open in 2026 and will consist of 200 rooms.
IHG Director of Development for Australasia and Pacific, Cameron Burke, said that the addition of Crowne Plaza to Geelong would help capture visitation from both corporate and leisure travellers alike, and serve as a strong endorsement to the pipeline of growth opportunities currently experienced throughout the metropolitan and regional markets.
“With the opening of Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong also imminent, we’re excited at the prospect of becoming the largest global operator in Geelong and to maintaining our accelerated growth trajectory across Australia,” said Burke.
At 57 square metres in size, the rooms will be joined by a lavish offering of restaurants and bars, as well as a pool complex, gymnasium, and meeting space and facilities as part of the planned new Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre precinct, which will house a 1000 seat auditorium, retail and hospitality stores, as well as a vast public plaza outside.
The announcement was made just as IHG planned to open a new 180-room Holiday Inn hotel and suites in Geelong, making the company the largest global hotel operator in the region.
Chair of the Plenary Group, John O’Rourke, said that the new property would provide an extra opportunity for the Geelong area, as well as the greater Bellarine and Surf Coast areas.
“Crowne Plaza Geelong will add to its reputation as a leading regional city and a tourism, business events and retail destination, creating local job opportunities and further contributing to Greater Geelong’s visitor and tourism economies,” said O’Rourke.
The Crowne Plaza Geelong is expected to boost new employment opportunities for Victoria, as noted by Victorian State Minister, Harriet Shing, who described the project as a game changer.
“There will be hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars into the local economy – once complete it will be yet another drawcard for this vibrant, prosperous and beautiful part of the state,” Shing said.
The suburban and regional expansion of IHG’s portfolio in Victoria will be flourished in the foreseeable years to come, with three new hotels having opened in the past 18 months. Another six properties are set to open in the greater Melbourne area within the next twelve months under the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, and Voco Brands.
