Ovolo Hotels has announced the establishment of its first international headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.
The move marks a new era for the independent hotelier as it grows outside its Hong Kong home market and takes on Australia, and the world’s, burgeoning hotel scene.
The Victorian Government provided investment facilitation services to Ovolo Hotels to secure the placement of the Group’s regional headquarters in Melbourne.
The state cited positive job creation and tourism infrastructure development as key reasons behind investing in Ovolo Hotels in Australia.
“Ovolo Hotels has found a home in Melbourne,” said Ovolo COO, Dirk Dalichau. “We were very encouraged by the Victorian Government’s commitment.
“Now we will get to work growing our business and contributing to Melbourne’s buzzing tourism sector.”
Ovolo Hotels first entered the Australian hotels market two years ago with the launch of Ovolo Laneways on 19 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. The 43-key boutique hotel has been a successful brand ambassador for Ovolo in Australia and was recently named Australasia’s Best City Boutique Hotel at the 2014 World Boutique Hotel Awards.
Over the past year, Ovolo Hotels has been ramping up its developments in Australia, where it now owns four properties, Ovolo Laneways and a hotel on 23-33 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne, the Hotel 1888 in Pyrmont Sydney, and the BLUE Sydney located along the Woolloomooloo Wharf.
The Group is now exploring more investment opportunities in other major urban centres in Australia, as well as international markets further afield.
Recent hotel acquisitions follow a landmark year for the Group, which has seen it open Hong Kong’s first warehouse conversion hotel and third member of Design Hotels, Ovolo Southside, and receive the Brand Excellence Award at the inaugural Enterprising Hong Kong Awards.