The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinarsUrbanity
Industry Excellence
Urban Leader
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Urban Leader Awards Logos RGB White
NOMINATIONS CLOSE SEPTEMBER 12 RECOGNISING THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND THE PROJECTS
NOMINATIONS CLOSING SEPTEMBER 12 URBAN LEADER AWARDS
LEARN MOREDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
4
print
Print
HotelTed TabetThu 14 Jul 22

Thai Hotel Group Joins $250m Sunshine Coast Development

Avani Hotel Mooloolaba

International hotel brand Avani will open its first full-scale Australian hotel after partnering with developer Kenneth Wagner for his on the Sunshine Coast project.

Avani, one of Asia’s fastest-growing upscale hospitality brands with a portfolio of properties in Asia, the Middle East and Africa as well as smaller assets in Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Melbourne, is a subsidiary of Thailand's Minor Hotels.

The hotel group manages more than 530 hotels, resorts and branded residences around the world and has a well-established portfolio in Australia with 56 Oaks hotels as well as a new NH Collection property under construction in Sydney’s Surry Hills.

Minor Hotels chief executive Dillip Rajakarier said the group had been scouting for a first-class location and a new-build property to add to its Australian portfolio for some time.

“We feel confident this property in Mooloolaba ticks all the boxes for travellers seeking the upscale, contemporary experience offered by our brand,” Rajakarier said.

The $250-million, 4.5-star hotel is being delivered by Kenneth Wagner after his development group KPAT Mooloolaba lodged plans for the ambitious Cottee Parker-designed project in September 2021 and was granted approval by the Sunshine Coast Council this year.

Wagner bought the 3000sq m property at the corner of Brisbane Road and First Avenue in mid-2020.

The transaction was made two years after the council decided to split the existing eight-storey carpark into two lots and create more paid parking in the area at a cost of $23.5 million.  

Soon after, Wagner entered into talks with representatives from Minor Hotels, having an existing relationship with the hotel group that also manages Oaks Toowoomba, which Wagner delivered in 2020.

Wagner said the hotel would likely open by early 2025 and feature 182 guest rooms, a three-level podium with ground-level commercial tenancies, and two basement levels of car and bicycle parking.

“We will be breaking ground in 2023 to deliver a unique product in one of Queensland’s most sought-after destinations,” Wagner said.

While Avani, a hotel brand known worldwide for its cool, contemporary styling, laid-back ambience and service, will operate the hotel, Wagner plans to own the asset into the future.

The 13-storey hotel will also have four restaurants, meeting and conference facilities, a kids’ club, spa, and a rooftop pool and bar with 180-degree ocean views. Image: Cottee Parker Architects
▲ The hotel will include four restaurants, meeting and conference facilities, a kids’ club, spa, and a rooftop pool and bar. Image: Cottee Parker Architects

While hotel development globally has contracted sharply in the pandemic, Australia has remained a bright spot with the rate of construction on hotels increasing last year.

Australia, which remains in the middle of a hotel development boom that began last decade, continues to hold a high volume of projects in its pipeline.

Nearly 90 per cent of hotel-industry participants in Australia are looking to maintain or increase their exposure in the sector, despite a consensus that per-room revenue in some major cities could take three to five years to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

According to a survey of more than 70 hotel owners, investors, developers and industry consultants undertaken by CBRE, sentiment has risen sharply as tourism continues to ramp up post-pandemic.

CBRE hotels regional director Troy Craig said hotel values across Australia were expected to rise over the next three years with the agency anticipating growth of up to 10 per cent.

“The hotel sector continues to recover from the impact of closed borders,” Craig said.

“While in-bound international traffic is still muted and survey participants expect it will take three to five years to fully return to 2019 levels, recovery in the corporate sector is widely expected to provide a further boost to the current upward swing in 2023.”

Queensland is still considered the most attractive market for hotel purchases or development with the Gold Coast and Brisbane ranking as the cities expected to perform most strongly over the coming year.

“Two-thirds of our survey respondents see growth in asset prices over the medium term, in line with recovering visitation,” Craig said.

“Queensland and New South Wales are clearly the markets attracting the most interest, with Sydney also expected to be 2023’s strongest-performing city.”

Kenneth Wagner’s uncle and corporation chairman of Wagner’s John Wagner will be a keynote speaker at The Urban Developer’s upcoming conference Urbanity on August 3-5.

HotelAustraliaSector
AUTHOR
Ted Tabet
The Urban Developer - Journalist
More articles by this author
website iconlinkedin icon
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
4 Min
Woolloongabba Precinct Vulture St
Exclusive

Brisbane Developer in Cross River Rail Compensation Tussle

Clare Burnett
4 Min
The Mondrian Gold Coast hotel's food and beverage is driving profits
Exclusive

Touch, Taste, Theatre: What’s Driving Mondrian’s Success

Renee McKeown
6 Min
Fortis’ display suites are designed as brand environments first, with tactile details and curated design to build buyer confidence before project specifics.
Exclusive

Relevant or Redundant: Will Tech Kill Display Suites?

Vanessa Croll
7 Min
Exclusive

Missing Heart: Why The Gold Coast Needs a CBD

Phil Bartsch
7 Min
View All >
South Melbourne social housing precinct
Affordable & Social Housing

South Melbourne Housing Precinct Revamp Takes Next Step

Leon Della Bosca
Aerial view of Caboolture and Bruce highway to Brisbane with Bribie Island Road crossing, Queensland, Australia
Policy

Queensland’s $2bn Push Opens New Housing Front

Vanessa Croll
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
The property giant’s strategic shift to higher density is in full flight as details of two landmark projects are made pu…
LATEST
South Melbourne social housing precinct
Affordable & Social Housing

South Melbourne Housing Precinct Revamp Takes Next Step

Leon Della Bosca
2 Min
Aerial view of Caboolture and Bruce highway to Brisbane with Bribie Island Road crossing, Queensland, Australia
Policy

Queensland’s $2bn Push Opens New Housing Front

Vanessa Croll
2 Min
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
4 Min
The Adelaide purpose built student accommodation market is about to increase by 1058 beds with the State Commission Assessment Panel supporting two towers in the making.
Student Housing

Highrise Approvals Add 1000-Plus PBSA Beds in Adelaide

Renee McKeown
3 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/avani-hotel-mooloolaba-sunshine-coast-wagner