Quest Ringwood: Maroondah Council rejects planned 14-storey hotel on Maroondah Highway

A giant hotel planned for Ringwood, which would be more than double the size of the Sage Hotel, has created fierce debate in the community.

A planned 14-storey Quest Hotel in Ringwood has been knocked back. Artist impression taken from planning documents.

Plans for a record-breaking hotel in Ringwood have been knocked back, in a win for locals fearing a high-rise surge and a glut of hotels in the booming suburb.

Maroondah Council refused Quest’s plan for a $30 million, 14-storey complex at 229-231 Maroondah Highway on April 6.

The complex was set to be built by developer Centreland Group and feature 80 serviced apartments in two buildings.

It would have been the tallest hotel in Ringwood to date, and almost double the height of its nearby neighbour, the seven-storey Sage Hotel at Eastland shopping centre.

The complex would have also blocked out balcony views for residents in the 10-storey 233 East complex next door.

In its refusal notice, the council stated Quest’s proposed hotel failed to comply with the guidelines for the Ringwood Activity Centre.

The council’s plan has a preference for a “key landmark” building of up to 15 storeys to be built on the corner of Maroondah Highway and Warrandyte Rd.

Officers felt Quest’s proposed 14-storey complex would reduce the corner site’s potential and also lead to “unreasonable overlooking opportunities to the adjoining habitable room windows and balconies to the east”.

“The overall scale, height and massing of the proposed building will dominate the street and does not integrate into existing and preferred context of the Maroondah Highway streetscape or surrounding area,” they wrote.

The planned complex had 22 objections prior to a planning meeting on February 24.

It is unclear if the decision will be appealed at VCAT.

Readers recently shared their concerns about Ringwood’s hotel boom on Maroondah Leader’s Facebook page, with 78 per cent, or 111 of 141 respondents, appearing unimpressed.

Julie Gordon was strongly against Quest’s plans and wrote: “Why don’t the council do more for our homeless instead of getting money from developers.”

Along with Sage, which opened in 2017, The Sebel Ringwood opened last month on Maroondah Hwy near Wantirna Rd.

Two other hotels by Holiday Inn and AC Marriott are also planned as part of the Ringwood Residences and East End developments, both of which are yet to begin construction.

Centreland Group declined to comment on the decision.