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A new era
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With an influx of new-build hotels, enhanced attractions and a major convention centre expansion about to begin, Tropical North Queensland is booming.
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he first thing you’ll notice if you haven’t been to Cairns in a while is the influx of new hotels rising up around the city. Emerging hotel group Crystalbrook Collection has a lot to do with the changing skyline, bringing a portfolio of three five-star hotels to the region. The first, a 311-room hotel named Riley, opened in late 2018 and has since become a hot spot for events, offering venues for up to 400 guests. “Riley had a fantastic launch into the business events market with our first large conference which took place in January,”says Trixie Scully, area director Cairns, sales and distribution at Crystalbrook Collection. “Since then, Riley has hosted a mix of conferences, incentive groups, weddings, VIP and social soirées.” Riley’s three restaurants, Rocco, Paper Crane and Greenfields, have been well received by locals and travellers alike, bringing sophisticated dining and event spaces to the city. Bailey was the next hotel to open on 2 November 2019, featuring 217 rooms, meeting spaces for up to 150 people and five restaurant and bar options.
1/ Poolside at Riley 2/ The newly opened Bailey 3/ Rocco restaurant and rooftop bar at Riley 4/ New guest rooms at Bailey
40 Spice Summer 2019
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The 303-room Flynn will compete the hotel trio when it opens in early 2020. Scully says construction of the third hotel is coming along well. “When Flynn opens in early 2020, we’ll have the wonderful opportunity to host events across all three properties in Cairns, including 877 rooms and suites for delegates to enjoy,” she says. Another major development for the region is the expansion of the Cairns Convention Centre, which is expected to begin in May 2020. When complete in early 2022, the $176 million project will add 3000 square metres of meeting, banquet and exhibition space overlooking Trinity Inlet. Tourism Tropical North Queensland general manager Rosie Douglas says the new infrastructure allows the city to host larger conference and incentive groups. “The expansion of the convention centre combined with over 800 new hotel rooms from the Crystalbrook Collection will provide the catalyst for the city to host simultaneous conferences for over 400 people, as well as attract larger conferences that we have not had the capacity to host previously,” she says. The investment throughout the region is just another reason why international and domestic incentive groups are looking to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. “The most consistent feedback we get from event planners is that it’s a very easy region to work in and that delegates leave energised because of the sheer natural beauty and experiences the region offers,” says Douglas. “New bars and restaurants, an upgraded waterfront and a city that really values business events are all contributing to this new era of the city.”n