BY JAMES WILKINSON
Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s President and CEO, A. Patrick Imbardelli, is excited about the company’s prospects in Australia as his group’s Parkroyal brand gets set to make a return in Melbourne.
Imbardelli told HM there are a number of key cities Pan Pacific Hotels Group is targeting in Australasia – including Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney – and the rebranding of the Hilton Melbourne Airport to Parkroyal (on Apr 1) was a significant step in the right direction.
He said the group was targeting a mixture of owned and managed properties across both the Pan Pacific and Parkroyal brands.
The 276-room Melbourne Airport property, which Pan Pacific purchased from Mulpha in late 2010, was a key to the company’s Australian growth, he said.
“We are delighted to bring Parkroyal back to its birth city,” Imbardelli said. “Visitors to Melbourne can look forward to a refreshed and updated Parkroyal brand that emphasises authentic local experiences and friendly and unobtrusive hospitality.
“Guests can look forward to Parkroyal’s unique offerings in more cities as we continue to expand the brand’s presence in Australia,” he said.
Parkroyal Melbourne Airport joins Parkroyal Parramatta, Parkroyal Darling Harbour and Pan Pacific Perth in the company’s Australian portfolio.