Landmark Darling Harbour hotel announced

Landmark Darling Harbour hotel announcedLend Lease has announced that it has signed a conditional agreement to develop, build and sell the International Convention Centre (ICC) Hotel on Sydney’s Darling Harbour to Australian hotelier Jerry Schwartz.The luxury hotel, which will operate as Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, will form a key part of the NSW State Government’s $2.5 billion transformation of Darling Harbour, which will include the creation of a convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct.Redevelopment of the precinct is underway and the adjacent integrated hotel is expected to attract international conventions by offering convenient and complementary accommodation to visiting delegates. As well as servicing the Darling Harbour precinct, the hotel is expected to attract travellers and tourists wanting close proximity to the CBD, the creative and technology hub in Pyrmont and the new financial services district at Barangaroo. The hotel will add approximately 215,000 annual room nights to the Sydney market.Lend Lease said it was excited to begin work on the first new luxury hotel in the Sydney CBD in 15 years. With 594 rooms offered over 35 storeys, the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour will be one of the largest luxury hotel developments in Australia. The exterior of the hotel will be dressed in a lacework curtainwall glass facade and will offer panoramic views of the harbour and the city. It will include a rooftop club lounge, meeting rooms, a ballroom and an outdoor pool deck as well as several options for dining and drinking on site.Accor confirmed that the new establishment would join the accommodation group’s luxury portfolio of Sofitel hotels after announcing that it had signed a management agreement to operate the new hotel. The Sofitel Sydney, Darling Harbour will join the Sofitel So Singapore, Sofitel So Auckland and the Sofitel Wellington as part of Accor’s range of luxury hotels in the Asia-Pacific region.Subject to the agreement between Lend Lease and Schwartz being ratified, Lend Lease anticipates commencing site works towards the end of 2014, with the hotel due for completion in the second quarter of 2017.For more on the Darling Harbour redevelopment, visit www.darlingharbourlive.com.au