Wentworth Hotel, Sydney

After AUD$30 million Refurbishment,
Hotel to be Reflagged Sofitel

13 March 2002 – Global hotel group Accor believes that it will be in
a unique position to ride a predicted upward trend for deluxe hotel accommodation
with the launch of the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney in mid-2003.
The Sofitel will be created out of an existing hotel – the landmark
Wentworth Hotel, SydneyÂ’s first-ever international hotel. Accor was appointed
today as new managers of the hotel by the propertyÂ’s owner, City Freeholds
Pty Ltd. Accor will assume management in June 2002 and operate the hotel
under The Wentworth name until a massive AUD$30 million refurbishment is
completed in mid-2003. The hotel will then officially be relaunched as
the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney.
Managing Director of Accor in Australia, Michael Issenberg, said the
timing of the relaunch will be ideal as Sydney will not have had any new
hotel stock for almost five years.
“By the time we launch the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney in mid 2003, no
significant new hotel will have opened in Sydney since the pre-Olympic
period, and at least 10 hotels would have closed their doors and been converted
into apartments,” said Mr Issenberg. “Furthermore, the opening is likely
to complement a substantial upturn in the domestic and global economies,
with a corresponding increase in demand for top-level accommodation.”
The move will see Accor fulfil one of its key global expansion objectives
– to establish its premier 5-star brand in Australia’s most important business
and tourism centre.
It will join three other Sofitels in Australia – Sofitel Melbourne (which
also was originally branded a Wentworth hotel, when it opened in 1981),
The Grand Hotel Melbourne and Sofitel Reef Casino in Cairns. The Sydney
hotel will be a crucial destination in a network of over 150 Sofitels around
the globe, joining cities such as London, Paris, Rome, New York, Los Angeles,
Bangkok and Tokyo.
 
The refurbishment of the hotel will be undertaken
by the hotel owners, with Accor playing an integral role in the design
of the upgrade programme. While the exterior will not be altered because
of its heritage-listing, the interior will be completely transformed, with
a new foyer, new entrance and new facilities designed specifically for
the hotelÂ’s major markets. The refurbishment will be conducted in a manner
that will enable the hotel to remain functioning thoughout this year with
minimum disruption to guests and patrons.

 

The Wentworth Sydney
Sydney, Australia

The Wentworth is one of SydneyÂ’s most historic hotels, with the original
hotel – named after explorer William Charles Wentworth – dating back to
1882. The hotel was gradually added to, including the opening of the Wentworth
Ballroom in 1920, and by the 1940s it was a 200-room hotel. However, in
1960, then owners Qantas, decided to build an office tower complex on the
site of the hotel, with a new Wentworth Hotel built on its current site
in Phillip Street. On 13 December 1966 the old Wentworth closed its doors,
with the modern-day Wentworth opening its doors the following day.
The hotel has since become an architectural icon of Sydney. Famous for
its huge copper awning and its bold semi-circular shape, it is believed
to be the tallest brick building in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Wentworth boasts SydneyÂ’s premier central business district location,
being surrounded by the cityÂ’s most important office complexes, including
Chifley Square, Aurora Place, Governor Phillip and Macquarie Towers, and
within a few minutes walk of the Stock Exchange, NSW Parliament, Art Gallery,
Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House.
The massive upgrade programme will see all 431 rooms refurbished and
the entrance to the hotel, retail and restaurant areas completely remodelled
Chairman of Accor Asia Pacific, David Baffsky, said: “The addition of the
Sofitel in Sydney has been one of the highest priorities of Accor. We have
been approached about many projects in the past, but the Wentworth was
worth waiting for because it presented a unique opportunity, given its
location, its history and the exciting refurbishment plans.
“Sydney is a one of the world’s major business and tourism hubs, and
while we have a strong presence with all our other brands, Sofitel is the
flagship for the group. It will complement new Sofitel openings this year
in London, Washington DC, Chicago, Montreal, Marrakech, Buenos Aires, Bangkok
and Venice.”
Sofitel is the prestige brand of Accor hotels, with over 150 properties
that bring a unique « art de vivre à la française »
to prime locations around the world. With 145,000 associates in 140 countries,
Accor is the European leader and one of the worldÂ’s largest groups in travel,
tourism and corporate services, with two major international activities:
* hotels: 3,700 hotels (415,000 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel
agencies, and restaurants; * services to corporate clients and public institutions:
each day, 12 million people in 31 countries use a broad range of services
(food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs,
events) engineered and managed by Accor.
The refurbishment of the hotel will be undertaken
by the hotel owners, with Accor playing an integral role in the design
of the upgrade programme. While the exterior will not be altered because
of its heritage-listing, the interior will be completely transformed, with
a new foyer, new entrance and new facilities designed specifically for
the hotelÂ’s major markets. The refurbishment will be conducted in a manner
that will enable the hotel to remain functioning thoughout this year with
minimum disruption to guests and patrons.

 

The Wentworth Sydney
Sydney, Australia

Contact:
Peter Hook
(61-2) 93670860
hook_peter@accor-hotels.com

Also See

Accor
and Jin Jiang Establish a Hotel Sales Network in China; The Jin Jiang Oriental
Tower Hotel in Shanghai to be Reflagged Sofitel Jin Jiang Tower, Pudong
/ Jan 2002 / 

City
Freeholds Pty Ltd Acquires the Architectural Icon Wentworth Hotel in Sydney
for A$108 million / Jan 2001