Construction starts on Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel in new Maroochydore CBD

The Sunshine Coast’s first major hotel to be built in 30 years will employ 1500 workers during construction and be the first of a raft of new hotel projects in the lead up to the Olympic Games.

Construction has started on the first major hotel on the Sunshine Coast in 30 years.

Global investment firm Pro-invest Group is behind the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in the heart of the new Maroochydore CBD with construction scheduled to finish by May 2022.

It is expected to be the first of many internationally branded hotels that will be needed by Sunshine Coast in anticipation of the 2032 Olympic Games.

Pro-invest co-chief executive Jan Smits said the new nine-storey hotel on First Avenue, Maroochydore will feature 181 rooms, a rooftop swimming pool, bar and dining venue, conference and function facilities, parking and ground-level retail space.

“We believe Holiday Inn Express & Suites Sunshine Coast is a great addition to Maroochydore, particularly as the region transitions from a largely leisure-based to a more diversified market with major growth in businesses establishing themselves in the city centre to take advantage of the large-scale infrastructure projects currently underway,” he said.

“The Holiday Inn Express brand is ideal for the destination as its midscale positioning will make it highly-suitable for targeting business, meetings and leisure travellers.”

An artist’s impression of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in the heart of the new Maroochydore.

There will be up to 1500 people working on the project during construction as well as 30 full and part time staff employed when the hotel is operational.

Pro-invest and IHG Hotels & Resorts have enjoyed a highly successful partnership in Australasia over the last decade, with 11 Holiday Inn Express hotels open or in the pipeline, as well as two hotels in Auckland and Brisbane as well as a Hotel Indigo in Brisbane, all of which will open later this year.

Tourism and Hospitality Services AustralAsia managing director Rodger Powell said it was the

the first major hotel built on the Sunshine Coast in 30 years with other accommodation projects being either a strata-titled apartment complex or a motel.

“This will open up the Sunshine Coast to new markets seeking the assurance of international hotels brands and hotel facilities and services,” he said.

“It’s also the closest hotel to the planned Convention Centre and will give confidence to the high-yielding meetings and events planners to bring their business to the Sunshine Coast.

“This is also the first of many internationally branded hotels that will be required if the Sunshine Coast is to win its fair share of the South East Queensland Olympic Games in 2032.”

An artist’s impression of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in the heart of the new Maroochydore.

SunCentral Maroochydore chief executive John Knaggs said the development was the fourth major construction project to have commenced within the first stage of the Maroochydore CBD.

“There’s multiple tower cranes and hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of investment currently underway within the Maroochydore CBD, it’s a real hive of activity,” he said.

“It’s pleasing to see so many tradespeople and suppliers working on-site each day to create a lasting legacy for future generations.”