Work to build a brand new 139-room hotel in Launceston at what was once a TasTAFE site is expected to take three years to complete.
The $45 million Red Panda Property Group project on Wellington Street in the heart of the city will feature a five-star Pullman hotel to be operated by international-chain Accor.
The hotel tower is set to become the city’s second tallest building and developers envision it as a vibrant food and entertainment hub, complete with a rooftop bar offering panoramic views.
Red Panda Director Andrew McCullagh said preserving the surrounding heritage was their “foremost consideration”, following concerns raised during the approval process about the hotel’s size overshadowing nearby landmarks.
“Our plans to regenerate the area will enable visitors to enjoy a rich combination of history and modernity in the one precinct,” he said.
“With Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Royal Park as neighbours, we will build a natural linkage to other recent developments and the Seaport precinct where guests can take river cruises.”
The hotel will be the first Pullman-branded hotel in Tasmania and sixth Accor-operated hotel in Launceston.
“With nature and food-based tourism being such powerful drivers of travel, Launceston and Tasmania has so much to offer domestic and international travellers,” Accor Pacific COO Adrian Williams said.
“The Tasmanian brand is globally admired as being synonymous with excellence, purity, sustainability and premium quality and with Launceston attracting new direct air services, we believe the arrival of the Pullman can further energise the state’s tourism sector.”
