Exclusive by James Wilkinson
Marriott International has confirmed to HM it is in talks with The Star Entertainment Group about its luxury brand Ritz-Carlton flagging a new 360-room world-class hotel in Sydney.
The proposed 200-metre tall building would be built at the front of The Star casino complex overlooking Sydney Harbour and would also include a significant number of F&B offerings, something The Star has been ramping up in recent years.
The Star Entertainment Group is partnering with Ritz-Carlton on its Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane and would mark the return of the brand to Sydney after a 14-year absence.
Marriott International’s Vice President of Hotel Development, James Doolan, exclusively told HM the new project was an exciting one.
“We’re excited by Star’s concept, by the site, and by the Sydney market, generally,” Doolan said. “There’s fantastic tourism growth potential in Australia, and Sydney in particular.
“We’re optimistic about further expansion opportunities for Ritz-Carlton in Australia and hope to be in a position to make additional specific announcements later in 2016,” he said.
New Ritz-Carlton projects have been announced for Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, however, The Star’s plan would see the project become a jewel in the Australasian crown for the brand.
The new Ritz-Carlton tower is part of a AUD$1 billion investment in The Star Entertainment Group’s Sydney complex and when completed, would mark the first time a Star hotel has been branded since the Conrad name was on the company’s hotels in Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the mid-2000s.
“We are in discussions with The Ritz-Carlton in relation to branding of the new hotel tower,” a spokesman for The Star Entertainment Group said.
“We are looking forward to having a Ritz-Carlton as part of the Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane and are also excited about the prospect of a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sydney to add to the experiences on offer at The Star.
“We are also in discussions on a potential joint venture on the project with our Queen’s Wharf partners Chow Tai Fook and Far East who bring impressive and proven development expertise and experience,” the spokesperson said.
A timeline for the completion of the project is yet to be released.