InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed an agreement with Sydney-based property development firm Watson Elite for the opening of a new Hotel Indigo in the Australian city.

When it opens in 2021, Hotel Indigo Sydney Central’s design, created by Bates Smart, will draw its unique identity from the neighbourhood’s rich heritage and the nuances of the site. The cantilevered northern wing will provide a sophisticated and calming backdrop to its neighbour, the heritage-listed Corporation Building, while a grand artwork will become a distinctive external feature, celebrating the hotel’s location within the Haymarket entertainment precinct.

Inside, the design will ensure the hotel fits naturally into the neighbourhood, telling stories of the local culture by weaving together rich materials, colour palette and custom pieces from local artists, photographers and furniture makers.

The 168-room hotel will boast a restaurant, café and bar that will draw on distinctive local ingredients for their menus, echoing the produce markets were located in Haymarket from the early 20th century through to the 1980s.  It will also include five suites, rooftop terraces for meetings and events with views over the city, and a gymnasium.

Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s senior director, Development - Australasia & South Pacific, said: “Hotel Indigo Sydney Central will be IHG’s first lifestyle-branded boutique hotel in Sydney, providing its signature ‘effortless authenticity’ to guests visiting Australia’s largest business and tourist hub. It’s also the third Hotel Indigo signing for Australia, demonstrating the appetite for a hotel that offers a local and unique experience as well as the reassurance of a global hotel chain.”

“We expect Hotel Indigo Sydney Central to become one of the city’s leading boutique hotels, making its mark thanks to its unique, eclectic style. It will perfectly complement our existing midscale to luxury IHG assets across this landmark city, building IHG’s scale in Australia’s largest city,” he said.

Cruz Chen, chief executive officer at Watson Elite, said: “Sydney is an exciting city to be in, it continues to lead the Australian market in terms of hotel performance, and we expect to see the growth trend continue. With a prime asset in the middle of the central precinct, opposite Capitol Square, we knew we needed a hotel brand that would build on the best of the area and deliver an outstanding guest experience. The Hotel Indigo brand is the perfect fit."

IHG currently has 47 hotels operating under four brands in Australasia, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, with another 17 in the pipeline, including Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley and Hotel Indigo Melbourne Docklands. - TradeArabia News Service