Essendon Airport will be home to the first Hyatt-branded business hotel, Hyatt Place, along with a new events centre to meet growing demand.
The $60 million investment for the 160-room hotel will adjoin a 1700-sq meter conference centre, and is expected to serve Tullamarine travellers as well as the local northwest Melbourne community, the Australian Financial Review reports.
“It’s not necessarily designed for the Tullamarine travellers – they’ve got their own hotels out there – it’s designed to meet the needs of all the business people in the north-west of Melbourne who have very limited options,” Essendon Fields chief executive Chris Cowan told the AFR.
Hyatt Place’s “select service” model is primarily aimed at those “on the go” and “cuts out some of the more luxurious elements that you don’t need”, Hyatt Hotels vice-president Pacific region, Robert Dawson told the paper.
Room rates per night will be around the $200 mark, and the events centre will handle capacity for conferences up to 1000-seats or 700 in banquet style.
“They’re more driven for people who are on the go 24/7 but don’t need a bell desk or concierge service,” Dawson said, AFR reports.
“There won’t be doormen. The lobby spaces are activated. They’re not just a check-in area, but have coffee and internet access.”
Dawson said there were plans to expand the Hyatt Place brand throughout the country; with Adelaide earmarked as a potential after the brand left the city when Hyatt was sold to InterContinental.
“It’s a question of finding the right location,” he told AFR.
“This is the beginning of what we hope will be other destinations in Australia.”
