Outrigger Hotels & Resorts has entered into an agreement to purchase the management rights and real estate assets of the Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise, on Australia’s Gold Coast. The sale includes the management rights for up to 414 hotel rooms and real estate assets comprising the hotel’s reception, conferencing areas and F&B outlets.
The contract is expected to settle in late 2011 or early 2012, from which time the property will be re-branded as the Outrigger Surfers Paradise.
The company’s Regional General Manager for Australia, Grant James said he was confident in the future of the Gold Coast’s tourism industry.
“The Gold Coast has fared much better than other regions in Queensland which can be evidenced by our other Gold Coast resort at Coolangatta eclipsing revenue and occupancy forecasts for the 2011-12 period,” James said.
“Despite current global economic woes, there is a lot of positive news coming out of the Gold Coast which includes the opening of two new five-star hotels, construction of the Gold Coast light rail and planned runway extension at Gold Coast International Airport to allow direct flights from China.
“We are pleased to be back in the heart of Surfers Paradise and we’re looking forward to working with local industry and operators and making a positive contribution to the local economy,” he added.
The addition of Outrigger Surfers Paradise boosts the company’s Australian portfolio to four hotels with close to 1,000 rooms. Built in 1986, the Surfers Paradise hotel was originally branded the ANA Hotel.