IHG Group will be opening Australia’s very first dual-branded hotel in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD, merging Hotel Indigo Little Collins and Holiday Inn Melbourne Bourke Street Mall.
Slated to open doors by 2022, the ambitious property will take over from the site currently trading as The Walk Arcade, developing the space to allow both hotels to form a symbiotic relationship and offer guests a unique stay across a combined 453-room property (181 for Hotel Indigo, 272 for Holiday Inn).
The ambitious $200 million mixed-use development won’t be pulling any punches when it comes to the guest experience, with amenities including international retail flagship stores, numerous food and beverage outlets, a gym, meeting spaces, and distinct guest lobby and room experiences for both brands.
“With such a large property and sought-after location, dual branding makes perfect sense”, explained IHG’s Senior Director of Development Abhijay Sandilya. “IHG has experience with dual branded properties in other markets, including the Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn Express in Singapore Katong, and a dual-branded EVEN Hotel and Holiday Inn Express planned for Auckland in 2020. We are excited to bring Hotel Indigo’s neighbourhood story and Holiday Inn’s Joy of Travel together to provide guests of all types with the experience that appeals to them”.
This property will also mark the second Hotel Indigo for Melbourne as the boutique-minded brand makes its Australian debut. Overall, it will be the fourth property for Indigo in the country, joining Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley and Sydney’s Central precinct, as well as Melbourne’s Docklands. With the brands penchant for absorbing each property’s locale so that no two Hotel Indigos are ever the same, it should be interesting to see what they do with places like Little Collins street, where Melbourne’s famous laneways will no doubt be incorporated into the hotel’s aesthetic.
The hotel will open by 2022.
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