Accor has reached the milestone of 400 hotels in Australia and the Pacific, some 30 years after the group opened the Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour in 1991.
The Porter House Hotel – M Gallery property is partially housed within an 1870s building on Castlereagh Street, which was originally home to the Dixson and Sons tobacco factory and warehouse, before becoming a retail shopfront for artisan furnishings company WW Campbell and Co and leather merchant George Johnson and Sons.
The 122-room hotel occupies the first ten floors of a new 36-storey mixed-use tower, which has been built around the restored heritage building.
Facilities include a fitness centre and heated swimming pool, as well as Dixson and Sons brasseries, and Henry’s Bread and Wine, inspired by European delicatessens.
The opening is part of Accor’s expansion plans in Australia and New Zealand, with 11 new hotels set to open by the end of 2023, including the debut of the 25 Hours brand in Australia, and new properties at Melbourne and Auckland airports.
Commenting on the news Accor Pacific CEO, Sarah Derry, said:
“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.
“We are seeing similar revivals in other key cities around the Pacific, complementing the success of regional holiday destinations in Australia and New Zealand.
“Our expansion programme 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.
“Accor are introducing both fresh brands and a fresh approach to hotel operations in Australia, and then New Zealand and the Pacific.
“To reach 400 hotels in just over three decades is a remarkable achievement and highlights Accor’s success with strategic partnerships and acquisitions. 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.
“An essential ingredient in Accor’s growth in the region has been our relationship with multi-hotel property owners. 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.
“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.”
