Australian-First 'Luxury' Marriott Highlights Hobart Property Market

Marriott — the world’s largest hotel company — is expanding into Hobart as part of the ongoing Parliament Square project in its latest property news.

Owned by Trawalla Group Parliament Square Hotel Operator Pty Ltd., the seven-story, 128 five-star room hotel is currently unnamed but will operate under the banner of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, representing the first hotel with the brand in Australia. The hotel will occupy the 12 Murray, 34 Davey, 34 West Davey, and 36 Davey Street buildings.

The Luxury Collection Hotel’s guest rooms and suites will be redesigned by Sydney-based hospitality interior design firm, JPDC. The building will retain its original windows, floor boards and fireplaces, and the hotel’s corridors will showcase exclusive pieces from local artists. There will also be an upscale restaurant, lobby lounge, and whiskey bar on-site.

This hotel will take residency in an assortment of heritage buildings, including the Georgian-style St. Mary’s Hospital originally constructed in 1847. Located in Parliament Square, the hotel will be located directly behind Hobart’s historic Parliament House and near local institutions including Salamanca Market and the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman says confirmation that the world’s largest hotel company is developing a $50 million property in Hobart is a massive vote of confidence in Tasmania and the future of its thriving visitor economy.

"Record numbers of tourists are coming here, and they are staying longer and spending more, with benefits flowing through to local businesses and creating more jobs," said a statement.

"That's why the Hodgman Liberal Government's plan to grow the economy and create jobs focusses on supporting our tourism and hospitality sectors. This will be the first Marriott International Luxury Collection Hotel in Australia which is another ringing endorsement for our state."It joins the collection of over 100 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 exciting and desirable destinations including Vienna, Austria; Santorini, Greece; and Venice, Italy.

The development will create 150 jobs during construction and 90 ongoing jobs once complete in October 2018.

"Our accommodation is already stretched at peak periods and this new luxury hotel will also bring increased capacity to the market."

“Australia is an extremely desirable destination for our guests, and this hotel is sure to become the place for luxury travellers to stay while visiting Tasmania,” said Mitzi Gaskins, Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection and JW Marriott. “Bringing the Luxury Collection to Australia marks a significant milestone for the brand, further cementing our leadership position in global hospitality, while providing our guests indigenous experiences that celebrate each individual locale," she said, according to Global Travel Media.

Marriott will bring new life to heritage buildings on Davey Street and sit directly behind Parliament House in the new Parliament Square, a project that has created almost $150 million of economic activity and 400 jobs.

The hotel giant merged last year with Starwood to create the world’s biggest hotel company, operating 24 hotels in Australia with a further 21 in development, including the new Hobart Hotel.

Parliament Square, which includes about 15,000 square metres of office space plus retail and a public space, will take shape around an assortment of heritage buildings, including the Georgian-style St Mary’s Hospital originally constructed in 1847.

Marriott International recently announced that 2016 represented the strongest year of rooms growth in its history. Marriott opened a record 55,000 rooms in 2016, excluding the 381,000 rooms gained with the Starwood acquisition. The combined company signed 880 new hotel deals, representing nearly 136,000 rooms, under long-term management and franchise agreements, and opened over 400 hotels with more than 68,000 rooms around the world. Marriott now operates or franchises over 6,000 hotels and nearly 1.2 million rooms.