'The Darling' takes top honours at International Hotel Awards
Sydney's newest five star hotel, The Darling at The Star, has won world-wide acclaim after it was named the Best International New Hotel for Construction and Design at the International Hotel Awards.
Located on the edge of Sydney Harbour, The Darling is two-part in its design -- having a distinctive inverted glass tower resting on a sandstone podium -- and features 171 stylish and spacious rooms, suites and penthouses, an infinity pool and 16 room luxury spa. The Darling is also home to Sokyo, a contemporary Japanese restaurant and bar.
The Darling Hotel and Spa opened in October last year as part of an extensive redevelopment of The Star, which introduced an array of award-winning restaurants and bars, a luxury retail collection, an extensive suite of penthouses and world-class gaming venues.
Winners of the various categories in the International Hotel Awards first had to prove they were the best in their country and region before competing against other top scoring hotels from across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Arabia, Africa and the UK. The Darling headed a strong field in a year-long competition to earn truly international status.
The prestigious Construction and Design Award was presented to construction company Brookfield Multiplex at a recent awards ceremony in London.
The Star's Managing Director Frederic Luvisutto said the award has confirmed The Darling's place as one of the world's leading five star hotels -- and the first in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics.
"We are extremely proud to have won this award and I would like to thank everyone involved, especially our building partner Brookfield Multiplex, for helping us to create Sydney's newest landmark hotel.
"We set out to build an iconic hotel at The Star that complimented its surroundings while working outside the square in terms of design and construction. The result is an innovative and stunning building that appeals to the most discerning business and leisure travellers who are looking for a unique world-class five-star experience," Mr Luvisutto said.
CEO of the Australian Hotels Association (NSW) Paul Nicolaou said The Darling had quickly established itself as an important player in Sydney's hotel accommodation market.
"We congratulate The Darling on winning this prestigious award. Since opening last year the Darling has certainly cemented itself a place as one of Sydney's premier hotels and a major drawcard to the city - it is great to see this officially recognised at the international level."
Commending the winners following the awards dinner at the London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, Stuart Shield, president of the International Hotel Awards, said: "The hospitality industry is notoriously competitive and so the levels of expertise and quality required to gain one of these highly prestigious awards signifying international five-star excellence is extremely high."
Backing up from its success in the International Hotel Awards, The Star has also received seven NSW Master Builders Association Excellence Awards. These have been awarded to builders Brookfield Multiplex, ISIS and Buildcorp and recognise outstanding achievement in the construction of various venues across the entire property, including The Star's new signature restaurants and main gaming floor (full list of MBA Awards below).
Part of the Echo Entertainment Group, The Star is set to complete the final phase of its redevelopment when it opens its new 4000 capacity event and entertainment centre in January 2013. Said Mike Henry, Echo's General Manager for Development and Property Management: "There has been an exceptional team working on the entire project to bring this world-class venue to market on time and to the highest standards.
"We wanted to create an entertainment destination Sydney can be proud of and I want to congratulate and thank all the consultants, builders and construction workers who have made this vision a reality."
Source: eTravel Blackboard, 13 November 2012
