More rooms planned for Holiday Inn Express hotel Parramatta

A budget hotel slated for Parramatta plans to expand in a move that shows a ‘vote of confidence’ to cater for the booming visitor economy. See what it means for the CBD.

Artist impressions of the Holiday Inn Express hotel at Smith St, Parramatta.

A major hotel chain is forging ahead with plans to expand in Parramatta, with its Smith St project earmarked for more rooms.

Plans for the 15-storey hotel –with 239 rooms – were first lodged with Parramatta Council in 2019 and also include two floors of commercial offices.

The extra rooms will take the total number of guestrooms to 253 and create minor changes to the Smith St shopfronts and updates to the window layouts.

“As such, the proposed modifications will not be perceptible to the casual observer in the public domain or adjoining properties,’’a planner for the project said.

Since plans were first lodged in 2019, a host of hotels have cropped up in Parramatta’s pipeline, from budget to mid-range and luxury accommodation, including the InterContinental, which will be Parramatta’s first five-star hotel when it opens at Church St in 2025.

Another 14 rooms are planned for the Holiday Inn.

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said Parramatta was a growing metropolis that needed to provide accommodation across all levels of affordability.

“Parramatta has a strong pipeline of hotels from global brands to boutique offerings and the Holiday Inn Express is one of those well-known brands,’’ he said.

“More rooms in the Holiday Inn Express is a vote of confidence by the market that Parramatta is on an upward trajectory with its visitor economy.”

He said the Powerhouse Parramatta, the redevelopment of the Riverside Theatres and the Roxy Theatre’s rejuvenation, along with the growing business market, meant more accommodation was needed.

“There is a great opportunity to develop a strong major events calendar specifically for Parramatta, such as major music festivals like Sound West, that can really drive greater overnight visitation to Parramatta in the coming years,’’ he said.