Opening date for Jewel hotel on Gold Coast delayed after operator Langham orders major design changes

The opening date of the new hotel within the Jewel development in Surfers Paradise has been pushed back. Here’s why.

THE operator of the Jewel hotel in Surfers Paradise has demanded new luxury designs for its rooms pushing the highly anticipated opening to Christmas next year.

Global luxury hotel brand Langham, which the Bulletin revealed in July as the operator of the Jewel hotel, officially announced earlier this month it will operate the 169 rooms and suites in Jewel’s middle 49-storey tower.

The middle tower is also the project’s tallest and Langham will also manage 170 serviced apartments between the 22nd and top floor with the rooms and suites for the hotel between the third and 20th level.

The Jewel towers glisten in the sunlight. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Langham Hospital Group chief sales and development officer Simon Manning said when it agreed last year to become the operator it had required a number of changes to the rooms and apartments.

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“We’ve upgraded it because to meet the Langham’s design standards and to make it truly the best hotel on the Gold Coast we have asked the ownership group to really relook and upgrade all the finishes and fixtures to the Langham’s technical design requirements,” Mr Manning said.

“It is much more luxury finishings whether it be the floorings, the furniture, all the elaborate soft touches, the panelling. We also had all the marble in the public areas redone.

“How do you make a Langham more luxurious than another hotel, it is through your decorations right?”

The Jewel towers at Surfers Paradise. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The fit-out is underway, although it has been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Manning said he would love to open the hotel in January but that was not possible.

“We believe it’s going to (open at the) end of year. We are going to try and get it opened before the high season — Christmas and New Year.”

Mr Manning said the hotel will be a “luxury” development and not just “a regular four-star Australia Hilton”.

The interior design is being done by Sydney-based Studio Aria, which has used azure and tan shades derived from the local flora and fauna.

Features will include restaurants, cafe, lobby lounge, pool bar and podium sky terrace with ocean views as well as a 500sq m spa taking its inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine.

There are also plans to open a signature Cantonese restaurant called T’ang Court to mirror Michellin-starred counterparts in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The Langham Hospitality Group, which comprises The Langham Hotels and Resorts and Cordis Hotels brands, has more than 30 projects in the planning or development stages across Asia, Europe and North America to the Middle East.

The Group takes its name from the Langham in London, which is said to be Europe’s first “grand hotel”.

The hotel will be a “luxury” development and not just “a regular four-star Australia Hilton”, says Langham Hospital Group chief sales and development officer Simon Manning.

Mr Manning said the 700sq m ballroom and four meeting rooms spanning 450sq m and a multi-function room with 500sq m will ensure it could take on the Sheraton Grand in Main Beach as “the” place to host large corporate events.

“The Sheraton has been the only viable meeting venue for the past 20 years with big space. We are going to have that with our ballrooms and our outdoor spaces.”

He said Langham, which next month will open its hotel in Sydney following the COVID-19 shutdown, is confident the market will be strong by the time the hotel opens.

Jewel measures 34, 40 and 49 storeys. Prices have ranged from $4 million for three-bedroom units to entry prices from $675,000 to $799,000.

It is managed by Yuhu but owned by AWH Investments. China’s Yuhu Group acquired it from Dalian Wanda in 2018 but come May last year full ownership moved to AWH Investments which has a director linked to big China developer Evergrande.

Jewel is being built by Multiplex and was designed by DBI Design.