Accor marks a major milestone this week with the opening its 400th hotel in Australia and the Pacific, the highly-anticipated The Porter House Hotel – MGallery in Sydney.
The heritage-listed property opens three decades on from the introduction of Accor’s first hotel in the region, Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour, which opened in 1991.
“To reach 400 hotels in just over three decades is a remarkable achievement and highlights Accor’s success with strategic partnerships and acquisitions,” said Accor Pacific CEO Sarah Derry.
“The addition of the Mirvac and Mantra groups to the Accor portfolio in the past decade almost doubled the network, giving Accor particular prominence in the serviced apartment sector, which is very popular in the domestic market.”
Derry also attributed the company’s growth trajectory to its strong partnerships with owners.
“An essential ingredient in Accor’s growth in the region has been our relationship with multi-hotel property owners,” she said.
“By being able to offer brands to fit a wide range of different styles of properties and locations, we have been able to attract owners with established properties wanting to take advantage of our rapidly growing market presence and our pioneering approach to sales, marketing and distribution.”
The Porter House Hotel opening comes as CBD hotels experience a resurgence in demand.
“Sydney is experiencing its fastest growth since March 2020, with recovery in corporate, conference and events business, and continued strength in the domestic leisure market,” said Derry.
“We are seeing similar revivals in other key cities around the Pacific, complementing the success of regional holiday destinations in Australia and New Zealand.
“While there is still some way to go before international travel returns to pre-pandemic levels, the ramping up of international flight schedules and growing confidence in long-haul travel bodes well for the renaissance of the region’s hotel industry for the rest of 2022 and 2023.”
The luxury hotel on Castlereagh Street houses 122 rooms and suites on the first 10 floors of a 36-storey mixed-use tower. The property also includes an extensive food and beverage offering spanning several floors, while 131 private apartments are located above the MGallery hotel.
The heritage-listed building dates back to 1876, when it was known as Dixson & Sons tobacco factory and warehouse, before it became a retail shopfront for the artisan furnishings of WW Campbell & Co and famous leather merchant George Johnson & Sons.
Designed by award-winning architect Angelo Candelapas of Candelapas Associates, the new-build hotel introduces a modern take on old designs paying tribute to the building’s rich history.
It’s the latest opening in Accor’s large-scale expansion in the Pacific region, with 11 new hotels – and 1,569 rooms – scheduled to open by the end of next year including the first 25hours hotel in Australia Melbourne Airport and Auckland Airport properties, and Hotel Morris – a heritage restoration of the 1929-built former West End Hotel on Pitt Street, Sydney.
“Our expansion program has a full range of hotel styles – from luxury to economy – in the pipeline: in city centres, airport precincts, regional centres and suburban growth areas,” Derry said.
“Accor is introducing both fresh brands and a fresh approach to hotel operations in Australia, and then New Zealand and the Pacific.”