By JAMES WILKINSON
Hyatt and Mulpha have amicably agreed to end the management agreement at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove in Queensland on December 5, 2012.
HM understands Mulpha Australia Limited, the owner of the resort, is expected to make an announcement of a new operator for the property in the next three- to six-weeks and that has been confirmed as being “an international hotel operator”.
Mulpha Australia Limited’s Head of Hotel Investments, Lloyd Donaldson, said the change would take effect at midnight on December 5, 2012 and praised Hyatt’s management of the property over the last two and a half decades.
“Hyatt Hotels and Resorts have a long and reputable record in the hospitality industry,” he said. “We appreciate Hyatt’s management efforts for the past 24 years in Sanctuary Cove, which have brought our associates and guests very memorable experiences.”
In a statement, both Hyatt and Mulpha said they were “committed to ensuring that the employees, guests and relevant stakeholders are provided with support and guidance during the transition period”.
“Mulpha has been committed to developing the local tourism and hospitality industry,” said Hyatt Hotels and Resorts’ Area Vice President, Robert Dawson.
“We are thankful for the support Mulpha has provided and will continue to work closely with them and the new operator when appointed, to ensure the smooth transition of this landmark Queensland resort.”
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts’ Area Director for Sales and Marketing, Kate Atkinson, told HM it would be “business as usual” until the handover on December 5.
“We will support that process and work with the new operator coming in,” she said. “All bookings will be honoured and we are expecting this to be a very amicable handover.”
Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove will be the second Queensland resort to leave the company’s portfolio this year, following the departure from the Clive Palmer-owned Hyatt Regency Coolum, now named the Palmer Resort Coolum, in May.
Despite the losses, Atkinson was upbeat about Hyatt’s plans for Australasia going forward, saying growth was at the forefront of the regional team’s minds.
“We are continuing to look at adding properties where our customers are travelling to in Australia and New Zealand,” she said.
“We want to further increase our distribution across Australia and New Zealand, particularly through our select service brands, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House,” she told HM.
While it is understood a new operator is yet to be appointed to run the Sanctuary Cove property, InterContinental Hotels Group is expected to be a front-runner, given the existing relationship at the Mulpha-owned InterContinental Sydney.