Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour has revealed the property’s $200 million upgrade is firmly on schedule.
From 1 June, the Sydney hotel is poised to become a prime convention address, offering 3,700 square metres of meeting space combined with the largest guest room inventory in the city.
This room number will increase further on 1 August with the launch of a third hotel tower, adding an additional 222 guest rooms and taking the total room count up to 892.
Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour together with owners, M&L Hospitality, embarked on the ambitious Darling Harbour development in 2014 following two years of thoughtful design and planning.
The vision was to introduce a new, distinctive and flexible meeting venue to spearhead the revitalisation of the popular city centre precinct, and to cater to the evolving and sophisticated needs of the industry.
Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour’s General Manager David Fraser is excited to launch Sydney’s largest redeveloped hotel, and to play such as important role in the evolution and ongoing success of Sydney’s business and events landscape.
“Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour’s new convention centre is going to raise Sydney’s business offerings to new heights,” he said. “The design, architecture and features of this development are second to none, incorporating spectacular water views, an abundance of natural light and space, new efficiencies and advanced technologies, which will significantly enhance our clients’ business events and meetings.
“We have extensively advanced our offering, catering to the needs of the modern-day event planner, and filling a gap that has long existed in the Sydney market. This development will bring Darling Harbour back into the limelight and help to raise Sydney’s reputation once again as a leading business events destination in Asia Pacific,” Fraser said.
With the opening date now in sight and client events booked from the moment the convention centre opens its doors, a strong sales and operations team has been appointed and a series of test events are in place to ensure that world class service and exceptional experiences are delivered from day one.
Offering two, vast ballrooms and 20 flexible meeting rooms, the true highlight of the new convention centre will be the two, elegantly designed, pillarless ballrooms, together offering a combined capacity for 2,100 people theatre style, as well as natural light and sweeping, uninterrupted water views of Sydney’s Darling Harbour. The meeting space will also include spacious breakout areas, meeting rooms and dedicated pre-function space.
Furthermore, the grand unveiling on 1 June will include the opening of the hotel’s new, stylish restaurant and bar; a striking Porte Cochere and dedicated coach bay; a spectacular hotel lobby; as well as an indoor thoroughfare providing easy, direct access to Darling Harbour and its many attractions.
The redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour will later see the launch of 222 new guest rooms in August 2016. Housed in the third tower development, the additional guest rooms will take the hotel’s inventory up to 892, offering a comprehensive venue for meeting planners looking for an option with accommodation on site.
The new rooms will help to address the shortage of accommodation in Sydney, a necessity as the city moves into a new era as a leading business events destination.
NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres has welcomed the investment as a strong indicator of the growth expected in tourism in NSW.
“Sydney is the nation’s gateway and the redevelopment of Four Points by Sheraton, Sydney helps ensure visitors have a world class experience in our global city,” Ayres said.
“Investment in our hotel infrastructure plays a key role in making sure we stay ahead of the pack and continue to provide a unique product in the region. In the year ending September 2015, international and domestic visitors to NSW stayed a total of 172.6 million nights, up six per cent and spent a record AUD$24.0 billion, up 7.8 per cent.”