Detailed planning can now begin on a $750 million, 55-storey luxury hotel development in the Sydney CBD after the NSW Government streamlined the approval process following weeks of intense pressure from industry lobby groups.
The Bligh Street project, which will reportedly become the Australian market entry of Hyatt Hotels’ Andaz brand, will be a 440-room hotel set among a mixed-use development which will also include office space, retail outlets, restaurants and cafes. Nine levels of lifestyle facilities including an indoor swimming pool, wellness centre, childcare facilities and co-working spaces will feature within the development. At the rooftop will be a restaurant, bar and garden.
Tourism Accommodation Australia National CEO, Michael Johnson, said he was pleased to see the project progress to the next level after months of delay.
“As Australia’s only truly global city we are judged on our levels of accommodation – luxury hotels like this one planned by SC Capital are needed if Sydney is to retain its crown as the nation’s only gateway city.
“For the first time in four years, Sydney is seeing substantial new hotel supply coming online with about 10,000 rooms in the pipeline.”
In a previous statement to HM, Hyatt Hotels Corporate said it couldn’t confirm the involvement of its Andaz brand in the project, saying the company was “focused on working with the right partners to deliver distinctive experiences for our guests, and are actively pursuing suitable opportunities in the right destinations as we expand our portfolio in Australia”.
“We currently manage seven hotels in Australia under the Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Place brands, and will be introducing the Hyatt Centric brand in 2020. We will share future updates on our brand expansion once the information is available.”