Ed Sheeran performs at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. Picture: Brett Costello
Live entertainment and annual events like Valentine’s Day are driving the travel plans of millions of Australians in spite of the high costs of daily life.
British superstar Ed Sheeran’s performance at Accor Stadium delivered a significant boost to hotel demand across Sydney last weekend, particularly near Sydney Olympic Park.
Accor’s Sydney Olympic Park hotels, including its Novotel, Ibis and Pullman brands, reached capacity over the weekend; year-on-year occupancy was up 16 per cent last Friday, 10 per cent on Saturday and 15 per cent on Sunday. Accor said major concerts drove multi-night stays.
An artist’s impression of the Holiday Inn Express, Cockburn, in Perth which is part of a complex built by a Malaysian developer.
Closer to the Sydney CBD, the French hotelier said events such as Valentine’s Day helped Accor’s Sydney CBD hotels reach 98 per cent occupancy, which was up 5 per cent on the same time last year.
Major events increasingly divert tourism into Sydney, Accor Pacific chief operating officer Adrian Williams said.
“Concerts of this scale generate a tangible uplift in hotel demand, particularly in event precincts like Sydney Olympic Park. We’re seeing how live entertainment, combined with key moments such as Valentine’s Day, can influence travel decisions and extended stays,” he said.
“Events like these energise our cities and reinforce the continued strength of experience-led travel.”
Meanwhile, developer Deicorp has announced a 104-room hotel for its Hyde Metropolitan residential tower near Sydney’s Hyde Park. The property, on the lower levels of the tower, will be managed by Marriott International as an AC by Marriott brand, together with independent hotel management company Trilogy Hotels.
Marriott operates more than 250 AC Marriott hotels worldwide and has another 180 in the pipeline.
In Perth, global hotel operator IHG is accelerating its expansion by signing a management agreement to run a $135m hotel development in Perth’s southern corridor. It will run the Holiday Inn Express Cockburn, in partnership with SKS Group, which develops across Australia and Malaysia. Holiday Inn Express is one of IHG’s fastest growing brands with more than 3275 hotels open and a further 664 planned around the world, including 11 Holiday Inn Express properties in Australasia and the Pacific.
An artist’s impression of the InterContinental Port Moresby which is being developed by Gulf Province Properties.
Opening later this year, the 170-room Cockburn property is part of a new mixed-use development presently under construction, featuring a purpose-built hotel tower and a residential tower.
IHG believes that the Perth suburb, 26km from the CBD, has strong fundamentals to support long-term demand.
The property will be positioned close to economic drivers such as the Australian Marine Complex, a major defence, shipbuilding and industrial hub, and the Murdoch Medical Precinct.
IHG Hotels & Resorts managing director Australasia and Pacific Matt Tripolone said IHG was focused on expanding its portfolio of globally recognised brands.
“This signing underscores the strong appeal of Holiday Inn Express to owners seeking a proven, efficient operating model that delivers impressive returns while meeting the evolving needs of today’s travellers,” he said.
Offshore, IHG has just signed up to run the InterContinental Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, partnering with Gulf Province Properties for the new 179-room luxury hotel scheduled to open in late 2028. The InterContinental will be developed within a mixed-use precinct in the heart of the capital’s diplomatic and government district.
It will be the first internationally branded luxury hotel of its scale in PNG.