The Mayor of the Gold Coast, Tom Tate and CEO of Destination Gold Coast, Annaliese Battista were among the dignitaries that officially opened voco Gold Coast at a packed ribbon cutting ceremony at the hotel this morning.
The opening of voco Gold Coast represents IHG's (InterContinental Hotels Group) first hotel globally for its new upscale hotel brand: voco™, just five months after it was launched. Owned by Australian property investment firm SB&G Group and located on the shores of the Gold Coast, voco™ Gold Coast is now open for guests to soak up the sun, sand and sea in Australia's beloved Surfers Paradise.
voco™, inspired by the meaning 'to invite' or to 'come together' in Latin, will combine the informality and charm of an individual hotel, with the quality and reassurance of a global and respected brand. The public spaces of voco™ Gold Coast emphasise this social element, fittingly named Social House Café, which collectively houses a bar and lounge within the venue, offering a space for everyone.
With 389 rooms, the property is situated in the heart of Australia's iconic Surfers Paradise precinct and steps away from Queensland's famous beaches. The hotel offers all the features that guests can expect from the upscale voco™ brand including two swimming pools, gym facilities, L'Aqua Day Spa, 800sqm of meeting space and expansive views of both the ocean and hinterland. Multiple dining options are also available in the hotel's three unique restaurants – Waves, Clifford's Grill & Lounge and Social House – all designed to offer vibrant social experiences for voco™ guests to enjoy.
voco™ Gold Coast also offers several exclusive features that sets it apart from existing hotels, starting with their onsite beehives, producing honey for various uses throughout the hotel. The strong sustainability focus also promises refillable dispensers for products such as soap, along with a high-end Aveda amenity and an initiative with Gold Coast City Council to ensure all kitchen waste is recycled.
The voco™ Gold Coast signing was announced by IHG and owners SB&G Group in June 2018, coinciding with the global launch of the voco™ brand. With six signings to date, in addition to the four properties that will rebrand as part of the UK portfolio deal, there are expected to be more than fifteen signings in total for the brand by the end of 2018. These include three signings in Australia, in Victoria's wine region, Yarra Valley and in the heart of Melbourne's bustling CBD as well as a number of properties in the UK. The opening of voco™ Gold Coast will be quickly followed by hotel openings in Solihull and Cardiff in the UK.
Paul Salter, SB&G Group Managing Director, said: "We are proud to be the first owner of a voco™ branded hotel in the world and to have worked closely with IHG to bring this new brand and service culture to the Gold Coast, making the high-quality refurbishment a reality in only 5 months."
Brenden van Blerk, voco™ Gold Coast General Manager, said: "As one of Australia's all-time favourite holiday destinations, we are very excited to be introducing the voco™ brand across the much-loved Gold Coast. Quintessentially Australian, the Gold Coast offers travellers the ultimate getaway with warm weather, amazing beaches and several great ways to have fun. This perfectly aligns with the new voco™ hotel – a fun, spirited, upscale offering."
Kenneth Macpherson, CEO EMEAA, IHG, said: "IHG launched the voco™ brand in June in Australia, we are so pleased to see the brand's momentum continue here with the first opening in the iconic Gold Coast with long standing partner, SB&G Group. voco™ delivers a guest experience that stands out, with touches of charm and memorable, distinctive and dependable hallmarks."
To tap into the excitement of the Gold Coast and embrace the playfulness of the voco™ brand, the new hotel offers a calendar of social events held within their street facing public spaces from a daily high tea experience to weekly trivia nights, among many others.
This distinctive brand will offer owners the ability to drive higher returns through delivering a compelling guest experience and leveraging IHG's powerful systems. This includes best-in-class revenue management and technology capabilities as well as IHG® Rewards Club, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes.
IHG currently has 48 hotels operating under four brands in Australasia, including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, with another 22 in the pipeline, including Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels and voco.
To celebrate the launch of voco™ globally, IHG Rewards Club is offering 10,000 Bonus Point Packages at our new voco™ hotels around the world for stays between November 2018 and February 2019. Additionally, members can enjoy 50% off Reward Night redemptions at our new voco™ hotels. Terms & Conditions apply, please visit vocohotels.com for more information.
Image captions: L-R: Brenden van Blerk, GM voco Gold Coast; Paul Donovan, Chairman Destination Gold Coast; Gary Baildon, Councillor Surfers Paradise; Tom Tate, Mayor Gold Coast; Ruwan Peiris, Director of Operations IHG Australasia; Annaleise Battista, CEO Destination Gold Coast; Paul Salter, Managing Director SB&G Group. voco Gold Coast deluxe room; Ruwan Peiris, Mayor Tom Tate, Paul Salter
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