All quiet on the Westin front as Marriott confirms new waterfront hotel deadline
MARRIOTT International has confirmed that its luxury Westin Hotel planned for the Darwin Waterfront will now not be finished until sometime in 2023 – at least a year later than planned
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MARRIOTT International has confirmed that its luxury Westin Hotel planned for the Darwin Waterfront will now not be finished until sometime in 2023 – at least a year later than planned
The hotel, which will have 201 rooms, was originally expected to open in 2022.
Designs released by the developer, Chinese-owned Landbridge, in 2018 outlined that the Westin-run hotel would offer 237 rooms across its eight levels.
But changes to stages three and four of the hotel’s development plan have resulted in 201 rooms – not 237 as previously outlined.
A spokesman for the company told the NT News on Tuesday the waterfront hotel was definitely proceeding.
However, the spokesman could not say which part of 2023 the work would be completed by.
“Yes the hotel is definitely proceeding and we expect it to be completed sometime in 2023,” the spokesman said.
Marriott International executives have promised the $200 million luxury Westin Darwin Hotel will bring thousands of new tourists to Darwin and deliver a new standard of luxury accommodation.
An NT News investigation, published on Tuesday, revealed minimal work has been undertaken at the Waterfront site since construction began 11 months ago.
The NT News also visited the site at 9am on Sunday when the site was closed off completely and no work was being undertaken.
A photo taken of the site on December 1 – more than two months ago – showed almost nothing had changed since then.
The first stage of construction was flagged as employing 35 people.
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At 9.30am on Tuesday, the work site was locked up and no work was happening.
On Monday, the NT News asked questions about signage at the site which stated work on a “small road widening” would occur on the bend in Anchorage Court on approach to the existing Fort Hill Wharf carpark.
The signs said excavation and construction would be undertaken between May 29, 2019 and November 2019.
But, by Tuesday, the signs had been taken down from the boundary fencing after the NT News’ question
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