Increased hotel construction, specifically in Victoria, reflects the state’s 8.2 per cent rise in tourism numbers in the year ending September 2018, according to Hickory.

Visitor numbers to Victoria reached 82.3 million in 2018, including 28.4 million overnight visitors. It is therefore no surprise that Hickory has seen a surge in hotel projects in 2019.

At a glance:

• Surge in Victorian tourism visitors leads to surge in hotel construction
• Construction firm Hickory sees 20 per cent growth across hotels sector of business
• It now has six hotel projects at various stages of completion in Victoria delivering a total of 1,308 keys

Hotels now completed or under construction by Hickory include:

Hotel Chadstone

Hickory’s most recently completed project is the much-anticipated Hotel Chadstone which is a key element of Chadstone’s masterplan and strategy to become a destination for travellers seeking world-class shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities. The hotel’s 250 five-star rooms sit over 12 levels and were designed by architects Bates Smart while the project boasts a 5-Star Green Star rating. The construction of Hotel Chadstone took only 14 months and the completion date of the hotel was brought forward due, in part, to Hickory’s prefabricated building components such as core walls, prefabricated walls, and proprietary façade system.

Hyatt Centric

Hyatt Centric, located at 9-27 Downie Street Melbourne, commenced construction in June 2019 and consists of 278 keys over 25 levels. Designed by Architectus, Hyatt Centric Melbourne is the newest iteration of the Hyatt Centric Hotel Series with projects already launched in Hobart and Tokyo.

Holiday Inn Express, Southbank

Southbank’s newest hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, is due for completion in November 2019. Retaining the original 1930s façade on City Road, the Holiday Inn Express is one of the few remaining buildings in the city to feature the distinctive art deco façade detailing. The hotel consists of 345 rooms over 23 levels. The project aims to achieve a 5 star NABERS performance rating. Levels 8-22 were constructed using Hickory Building Systems, enabling a compressed construction timeline through the integration of structural prefabrication and SYNC prefabricated bathroom pods.

Holiday Inn Express, Little Collins Street

Currently under construction, the Holiday Inn Express hotel on Little Collins Street makes the best of a small footprint of only 1,254 square metres. With two retail tenancies on the ground floor in the hotel vestibule, every inch of the site is put to use. The tower above is set back from the four boundaries and contains 24 guest levels, totalling 312 suites. Hickory’s prefab construction has accelerated the construction schedule and completion is expected in June 2021.

Mojo Ovolo Hotel

The Mojo Ovolo Hotel is a boutique hotel of 123 rooms across 6 levels. Designed by Woods Bagot, guests will enjoy a ground floor gourmet café on site in verdant South Yarra. The project is expected to be completed by September 2020 and is located at 230 Toorak Road, South Yarra.

Related reading:

$130m Hotel Chadstone Melbourne, MGallery by Sofitel opening November 2019

Hickory appointed to build Melbourne’s first Hyatt Centric hotel

Ovolo launches new brand Mojo Nomad in Australia

Record-breaking year for tourism in Victoria