Hyatt announces return to Brisbane

Until 2012, Hyatt had a long term strangle hold over Queensland’s resort sector running the wildly popular Hyatt Coolum resort until it was bought by Queensland mining magnate and United Australia Party founder, Clive Palmer. That year Hyatt also lost control of the Malaysian-owned Sanctuary Cove which is now managed by InterContinental Hotels.

Hyatt Group President Asia Pacific David Udell says the company had been sad to lose the Hyatt Coolum resort management contract.

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“We loved that hotel and we put our heart and soul into it. If you look at the number of special occasions and sheer joy generated at that hotel, Coolum was ground zero for providing those special occasions for Australians and people all over the world. It was a great events place for meetings and conferences for delegates from Los Angeles for instance.”

But Hyatt is returning to Queensland with a 170-room Hyatt Place hotel to be built in Wolloongabba on Brisbane’s southside developed by Pellicano and Perri Projects, the joint venture developers behind the $700 million South City Square project. The hotel is expected to open in 2023.

Udell says Hyatt Place has been chosen because it is an efficient hotel to develop from a cost point of view with none of the accoutrements of larger luxury properties.

“This is sort of modern luxury without the bells and whistles which make a hotel an expensive development proposition,” he says.

The Hyatt Place Brisbane South City Square will concentrate on high quality rooms with comfortable beds, workspaces and relaxation areas where guests can stream videos.

“The most important thing is to have a really excellent room product,” Udell says adding that the hotel’s reception area would not be overdone.

“It’s about a blend of offerings that are fresh and not over embellished. At the end of the day this kind of development also allows the owner to get a positive return on investment.”

Typical hotels feature a large reception area with designated zones, a concierge, restaurant, bell desk but the Hyatt Place hotel has multi functional staff who are trained to check in guests, assist with luggage and provide a cocktail or sandwich.

“It takes the essence of a bed and breakfast of a husband and wife or a couple will really do everything.”

Hyatt operates seven hotels at present with a further three under development. Within three year’s the hotelier expects to have 10 or 11 hotels under management.

“We are not in it for growth for growth’s sake, it’s about placing hotels where our customers want to travel to,” Udell says.

This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.