Parkroyal Darling Harbour Sydney has unveiled an expansive new lobby as part of the multi-million dollar refurbishment it has been undertaking for the past four months.
With a fresh, vibrant interior palette and the latest in hotel technology incorporated, the redesign will “deliver an entirely new experience for guests of the hotel from the moment they enter the new lobby and check in”, according to the company.
The lobby’s completion is part of the second and final stage of a complete transformation of the hotel that has already taken in the guestrooms and a new club lounge for corporate travellers. The final components of this second stage will see the restaurants and meeting spaces gutted and recreated entirely in time for an official relaunch of the hotel this month.
Acclaimed design firm Hassell collaborated with Pan Pacific Hotels Group, owners of the Parkroyal hotels in Australia, on the design.
“It’s been extraordinary to watch the hotel be taken back to its basic architectural features and rebuilt from within,” said Pan Pacific Hotel Group’s Area General Manager for Oceania, Craig Bond.
“Once the finishing touches are completed, guests will think they’ve stepped into an entirely different hotel. However the one thing we have retained is the amazing people that have kept the Parkroyal name synonymous with the highest levels of service.”
The technological advancements include systems that will place individual’s preferences for services and special touches in their room at staff’s fingertips prior to arrival. A new room card system will provide greater security features and soon allow for smart phones to be encoded as room keys.
The refurbishment has been welcomed by Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA).
TAA Managing Director Rodger Powell said the ongoing renewal of existing properties “is critical to Australia’s ability to remain attractive to growing nearby tourist markets in the Asian Century”.
“This display of investor confidence is a shot in the arm for the accommodation sector,” he said. “Credit must go to Patrick Imbardelli, CEO of Pan Pacific Hotel Group (PPHG) and the owners UOL group for continuing to invest in quality Australian tourism assets.
“In recent years PPHG has re-built its Parkroyal and Pan Pacific brands in Australia through quality acquisitions and significant re-investment in these assets. The company is one of the latest mature hotel operators to be attracted to the Australian market.
“PPHG understand the importance of renewing and improving product quality and of creating international standard hotels to attract both domestic and international visitors and to improve returns.
“It is good news for the tourism sector as a whole that an international operator like Pan Pacific has demonstrated its confidence in the market and added to the burgeoning stable of quality accommodation around the country,” Powell said.