NO ROOM AT THE INN
Hotels booked out as tourists jam into region
GEELONG desperately needs more accommodation, with our hotels booked solid this weekend as tens of thousands of tourists descend on the region.
With Australia Day, The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the Festival of Sails expected to attract well over 100,000 visitors this long weekend, the Addy was able to find only one Geelong hotel that had not been booked out.
Local tourism chief Roger Grant said more than 1000 new hotel or short-stay rooms were needed in Geelong to keep up with the city’s booming tourism industry.
GEELONG’S need for more accommodation has been thrown into sharp focus this weekend, as tens of thousands of visitors overflowing the region’s hotels.
With Australia Day, The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and the Festival of Sails expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors to the region this weekend, it is almost impossible to find short-stay accommodation.
The Geelong Advertiser was this week able to find just one Geelong hotel that had not been booked out, with the Novotel, Rydges and Best Western full, along with at least a dozen other hotels, motels and caravan parks.
Geelong tourism chief Roger Grant said more than 1000 new hotel or short-stay rooms were needed in Geelong to keep up with the city’s booming tourism industry.
“Our research indicates the whole region needs about another 1500 to 2000 new guest rooms available,” Mr Grant said.
“By 2030 we believe our current visitation levels will move from about 5.3 million up to about seven million, so to be able to fully capitalise on that of course we need new hotels.”
Mr Grant said those looking for accommodation should call in to the city’s visitor information centres for updated lists of availability — but warned they may need to be prepared to stay a little further out than they hoped.
Tropicana Torquay Motel owner Brad Anstis said the region’s busiest weekend came on the back of a busy summer — even for those hotels further out from Geelong.
“I think we’ve been sold out for this weekend for at least two months now,” Mr Anstis said. “It’s been very busy (this summer). I think we’ve been sold out pretty much every night.
“I don’t think hotels or accommodation is increasing at the rate that the estates and everything are popping up.”
Corangamite federal Liberal MP Sarah Henderson said the city and region was in need of more hotel accommodation, and said she hoped the long awaited Convention Centre project would include a new hotel.
“We are attracting worldclass events and we must be able to offer appropriate te accommodation,” Ms Henderson said.
“I hope that a convention ention centre on the Geelong waterfront will attract several hotels to our city.”
While there’s next to no vacancy in town this weekend, Geelong’s first new hotel in almost 20 years is set to open in 2020.
Last year hotel giant Holiday Inn announced it had signed an agreement to open and operate a 190-bed property at 44 Ryrie St.
The hotel is set to include an all-day dining ng restaurant and bar, swimming pool, gym, parking and 300sq m of meeting ng facilities, including a function unction room for 250 people.