Two leading Victorian hotels – Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley and Novotel Melbourne on Collins – are set to undertake refurbishment programs that reflect Accor’s confidence and continued investment in the State.
Over the past 12 months, Accor hotels have invested over AUD$25 million in the Victorian hotel market with refurbishment programs taking place at CBD and regional hotels under the Sofitel, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, All Seasons, Ibis brands and Formule 1 brands.
Accor’s Regional General Manager for VIC/TAS/SA, Scott Boyes, says the upgrade of Victorian hotel inventory reflected the State’s aggressive commitment to winning major events and conferences for the State.
“The continuing global economic uncertainty and steep declines on the local and international stock exchanges does threaten business travel, but Victoria’s reputation as the State to hold major events and conferences has given us the confidence to spend significantly on upgrading our accommodation,” he says.
“The planned closure of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2013 will give Melbourne even greater opportunities to win major conferences and events, but it is essential that the city continually upgrades its accommodation infrastructure if we are to compete strongly against other cities both within Australia and in the Asia Pacific region.
“We have already been able to quantify the benefits of major refurbishments. For example, the recently re-branded Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens closed a large proportion of rooms during its $4million refurbishment program, but experienced a 10% increase in revenue following completion of the program.”
From 4 June, Novotel Glen Waverley – Melbourne’s largest integrated hotel and entertainment complex outside of the CBD – will invest AUD$5.6 million on a refurbishment of all 200 accommodation rooms.
The refurbishment heralds the arrival of Novotel’s new ‘NEXT’ room concept to Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, incorporating a contemporary and stylish new design with new advances in in-room technology.
The accommodation rooms will receive a fresh new colour scheme, contemporary soft furnishings including the Novotel NEXT halo bed head with integrated backlighting, chaise lounge and coffee table as well as a large workstation inclusive of ‘MediaHub HD’. This new in-room technology allows stereo Bluetooth enabled smart phones, laptops or MP3 players to wirelessly stream audio through the new 32” television, thereby converting the room into a mobile office.
Bathrooms will receive new stone vanities and basins along with halo vanity mirror. Frameless shower screens and designer tap ware will complete the stylish new bathroom design.
Each accommodation hallway at Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley will also receive a fresh new look to complement the new rooms, including a new colour scheme and matching carpet.
Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley General Manager, Andrew Maynard, says there will be minimal guest disruption during the refurbishment work.
“Of the six hotel floors, two accommodation floors at a time will be placed out of order so that our guests will not see any of the refurbishment process underway,” he says. “Furthermore, there will not be any loud jack hammering undertaken and all work will be carried out when the majority of our guests are out and about.”
Further highlighting Accor hotel’s commitment to high quality product, the stylish Novotel Melbourne on Collins is currently undergoing a refurbishment of 309 Standard and Executive rooms. This upgrade will complement the hotel’s recently added Premier rooms, in addition to its refurbished conference facilities which now cater to up to 380 delegates.
The new rooms at Novotel Melbourne on Collins have been designed to reflect the vibrant community of Australia’s events capital with contemporary colour scheme, fabulous new bed head designs, iPod/iPad docking stations, new carpet, curtains, beds and bedding and a funky chaise lounge sofa.
The Novotel’s bathrooms will also receive special attention with new fittings including a halo bathroom mirror included in the refurbishment which is scheduled to be complete by October 2012.
Novotel Melbourne on Collins General Manager, Hayden Hughes, says the guest experience remains paramount thorough the refurbishment process.
“We have carefully planned the refurbishment to be staged in sections to minimise any impact, if at all, on guests. Our public areas will not be affected and because the hotel has been built in a rectangular shape around the Australia on Collins Atrium, this has allowed us to cordon off sections of a floor to be worked on.”
Accor operates over 30 hotels in Victoria with four Novotel properties in and around Melbourne including, Novotel Melbourne on Collins, Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley, Novotel Melbourne St Kilda and Novotel Forest Resort Creswick.