Hotel boom to match tourism
UNCERTAINTY over new developments has been the front-runner of issues concerning the Fremantle community, but the Australian Hotels Association says Fremantle is leading the way nationally in establishing new hotels and first-rate accommodation.
According to AHA chief executive Bradley Woods, Perth and Fremantle are in the midst of a surge in hotel developments that could see more than 4000 new rooms built between the two areas in the next five years.
He said up to $3 billion could be spent on hotel development by 2020 to meet increasing demand as more people travel to WA.
“The State Government and Tourism WA in the past two years have done a superb job in attracting new hotel development interest and the cities of Perth and Fremantle have supported the process by facilitating more efficient and effective council consideration and approvals,” he said.
“The State Government tourism strategic plan 2020 identified 1900 rooms are required for Perth to keep pace with corporate and leisure demand and the AHA believes the number will be well exceeded by decade’s end.”
Mr Woods said while not all hotels under consideration would be built, those that had been approved, were under construction or had been completed recently were already increasing the number of hotel rooms available.
One is the newly opened Hougoumont Hotel on Bannister Street. Hotel director Patrick Prendiville said Fremantle had “unique attributes” that made it a great place for new hotels.
“(The attributes) cannot be replicated by other suburbs in Perth, such as the fabulous working port and one of the largest stocks of 18th century architecture in the world,” he said.
“Fremantle is WA’s second largest tourism destination, has a growing office workforce and currently relies on a very small stock of hotel rooms. It’s going through a renaissance which is exciting and any new hotels that make it to the market will only enhance the City’s ability to remain a fabulous place to live, work and play.”
Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the city was already one of the most visited tourist destinations in WA and would continue to grow.
He said up to $3 billion could be spent on hotel development by 2020 to meet increasing demand as more people travel to WA.
“The State Government and Tourism WA in the past two years have done a superb job in attracting new hotel development interest and the cities of Perth and Fremantle have supported the process by facilitating more efficient and effective council consideration and approvals,” he said.
“The State Government tourism strategic plan 2020 identified 1900 rooms are required for Perth to keep pace with corporate and leisure demand and the AHA believes the number will be well exceeded by decade’s end.”
Mr Woods said while not all hotels under consideration would be built, those that had been approved, were under construction or had been completed recently were already increasing the number of hotel rooms available.
One is the newly opened Hougoumont Hotel on Bannister Street. Hotel director Patrick Prendiville said Fremantle had “unique attributes” that made it a great place for new hotels.
“(The attributes) cannot be replicated by other suburbs in Perth, such as the fabulous working port and one of the largest stocks of 18th century architecture in the world,” he said.
“Fremantle is WA’s second largest tourism destination, has a growing office workforce and currently relies on a very small stock of hotel rooms. It’s going through a renaissance which is exciting and any new hotels that make it to the market will only enhance the City’s ability to remain a fabulous place to live, work and play.”
Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the city was already one of the most visited tourist destinations in WA and would continue to grow.
Source: In My Community - 4 March 2014
