Crystalbrook Sam luxury hotel under construction in Adelaide as developers launch bid to change plans
Developers have broken ground in Adelaide’s CBD as they revise their designs for a 5-star hotel set to be run by a Syrian billionaire’s firm.
Developers have broken ground on a $120m luxury hotel on Halifax St in Adelaide’s CBD, which could reach new heights under revised plans.
Local property developer and structural steel fabricator Samaras Group is spearheading development of the hotel - known as Crystalbrook Sam - which will be operated by Syrian billionaire Ghassan Aboud’s Crystalbrook Collection.
The 13-level, five-star offering will feature 206 guest rooms and suites, a lobby with communal spaces, meeting and event spaces, a pool and fitness centre and restaurant and bar “showcasing Adelaide’s finest produce”.
Crystalbrook will also bring its luxury Eléme bathhouse and day spa to the top floor of the hotel, which is due for completion in 2026.
Earlier this month Samaras Group secured planning approval for an additional storey as part of changes that would also include an extra swimming pool and additional hotel rooms. Building approvals for the revised plans are still being sought.
Crystalbrook Collection chief executive Geoff York said the project represented a significant expansion for Crystalbrook into “one of Australia’s fastest growing cities”.
“Adelaide is fast becoming a global destination and one of Australia’s leading tourism markets that offers exceptional food and wine, unrivalled nature experiences and a vibrant art and cultural scene,” he said.
“We believe this project will transform the site on Halifax St and be a catalyst in adding to Adelaide’s growing status as a leading lifestyle destination.”
Crystalbrook Collection currently operates eight hotels across Queensland and NSW, including in Cairns, Port Douglas, Byron Bay, Sydney and Newcastle. There are also plans to open a hotel in Canberra in 2017.
Samaras acquired the former Wilson car park site just east of King William St in 2021, and had previously planned to develop a 17-storey tower with a hotel and luxury apartments.
The project was scaled back following feedback from government architects and hotel operators.
Samaras Group chief executive Chris Samaras said Crystalbrook Sam would bring a new level of luxury to Adelaide’s hotel market.
“We have a deep personal connection with Adelaide, our home city, and we are passionate about bringing a world-class, luxury lifestyle development to South Australia,” he said. “Crystalbrook Sam has been purposefully designed to celebrate the spirit of the local area while delivering something new and unseen, that will excite locals and draw visitors to Adelaide.”
The project will create more than 100 jobs during the construction, and an estimated 120 new jobs once the hotel is operational.
Based in the UAE, Mr Aboud’s Ghassan Aboud Group has business interests in the automotive, logistics, media, hospitality, real estate and retail sectors.
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