Global hotel heavyweight IHG Hotels & Resorts has turned its gaze north, weeks after revealing its plans for a Brisbane hotel icon.
IHG will partner with Luxora Hotels to return the Holiday Inn brand to Townsville as it continues its regional expansion strategy.
The 93-key asset, formerly the Madison Plaza Hotel, will undergo extensive refurbishment before opening as Holiday Inn Townsville in early 2026.
Last month the hospitality group announced with developer and funds manager ISPT that the InterContinental Brisbane would open in early June, transforming the former Hilton through a long-term management agreement.
The hotel in Brisbane’s CBD is the only Australian hotel designed by modernist architect Harry Seidler.
The Townsville property is in the CBD at the corner of Stanley and Flinders streets, near Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Queensland Tropics Museum and Townsville Yacht Club.
IHG development director Australasia and Pacific Cameron Burke said as “part of the world’s largest brand family, we expect Holiday Inn to resonate with domestic and international travellers to Townsville and Far North Queensland more broadly”.
The hotel was sold in December to Luxora Hotels, which was described at the time as the “private Asian investor making its first venture into the accommodation sector”.
HTL Property handled the transaction on behalf of Morgan Hotels Pty Ltd. Queensland director Paul Nyholt and national director Andrew Jackson managed the sale process.
The property generated about $2.85 million in gross revenue in the 2024 financial year and was sold with vacant possession.
The new Holiday Inn will feature a modern all-day dining restaurant and conference facilities, and will incorporate the Holiday Inn ‘Open Lobby’ concept—a flexible space blending dining, social and work areas.
La Vie Hotels and Resorts will operate the hotel.
The Townsville development is part of IHG’s broader Australian expansion, which includes new InterContinental hotels in Brisbane and the Barossa Valley, plus the voco Darwin Suites in the Northern Territory.
Burke said Townsville’s growing importance made it an attractive location for expansion.
“It has been announced that several Olympic events will be held in Townsville and this, combined with the city serving as a strategic hub for industries including mining, energy and defence, contributes to Townsville’s thriving economic and tourism landscape,” he said.
IHG currently operates 76 hotels across Australia and New Zealand under nine brands, and has another 26 properties in development.
The group’s expansion reflects growing demand for refined hospitality experiences—IHG Australasia & Pacific managing director Matt Tripolone told The Urban Developer that “Australian and international travellers now are not willing to compromise on their experience”.
