Iconic international hotel chain set to make a return to Adelaide
An international hotel chain will make its return to Adelaide — and create 600 jobs — a decade after it left North Tce.
- Former Bank of South Australia building could be demolished
- 25-storey hotel and office tower with rooftop bar for Currie St
A local-heritage listed property on Pirie St will be demolished to make way for the Hyatt’s $180 million return to Adelaide.
The former Bank of South Australia building will be knocked down and the 27-storey Hyatt Regency will be built in its place, 10 years after the brand left the city.
It will create 400 jobs during construction — set to begin early next year — and more than 200 when it opens in early 2023.
It will have 295 rooms with 750sq m of event space, a cafe, swimming pool, gym and rooftop bar.
Adelaide City Council initially opposed the demolition of the building’s facade because it did not suit development plan requirements, however, Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor today said it was sympathetic to its surroundings.
Hyatt’s operations area vice-president Robert Dawson said the company was excited to make a return to Adelaide because it had a “strong legacy” in the city.
“The hotel will mark an important re-entry into Adelaide for the Hyatt Regency brand and fill a gap in Hyatt’s domestic Australian network,” Mr Dawson said.
“We are very positive about the market here … and we are looking forward to coming back.
“We want to be in a location where travellers want to stay.”
The building is locally heritage-listed as a townscape — meaning that parts of the building contribute to the overall character of the wider area.
The Hyatt, opened on North Tce in 1988, left Adelaide back in 2009 when it was turned into the InterContinental Hotel.
CES Pirie Hotel (SA) bought the new site, which was most recently an office supplies shop, for $15.9 million in July 2018, RP CoreLogic Data shows.
Adelaide City Council initially opposed the facade’s demolition, however, the State Commission Assessment Panel report said it had “brutal” architectural elements and additions that were not worth retaining.
Ms Verschoor said the project showed “how exciting” Adelaide’s future looked.
“It is right in the heart of the CBD and it is going to work beautifully with the surrounds,” Ms Verschoor said.
The council’s planning associate director Shanti Ditter said: “There are numerous provisions within the Adelaide (City) Development Plan which call for the retention of local heritage places. Demolition of the listed building fabric is therefore not consistent with the intent of the plan and council did not support its demolition.”
Hyatt entered a management agreement with CES Pirie Hotel (SA) Pty Ltd, an entity Chip Eng Seng Corporation Limited, to develop the hotel
“We have a lot of confidence (in Adelaide) moving forward … we want to do a lot more in Adelaide in the future,” Chip Eng Seng Corporation’s chief executive Raymond Chia said.
Tourism Minister David Ridgway said he was pleased to have the hotel chain back, especially since the state’s visitor economy stands at a record $7.2 billion.
“It is a massive show of confidence in our state as a premier destination,” Mr Ridgeway said.
“This is great news for our local economy and tradies, and great news for tourism.”
He said the hotel was a “great way” to drive visitors, especially with increased international flights “over the years going ahead”.
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