NEW $100M RESORT TO TURN UP THE SIZZLE

Developer to ‘bring the bling’ to Port Douglas

HOTEL agreements have been signed for an exclusive $100 million luxury resort set to bring the bling back to Port Douglas.

Demotion work for a new 253-room high-end hotel on Port Douglas Rd will begin in the coming months with Melbourne-based developer Chiodo Corp announcing a hotel management deal with Accor.

The ‘uber luxury’ five-star resort will join the stable of world-renowned brand Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, with construction expected to begin early next year.

Developer Paul Chiodo said his company had engaged global interior design firm HBA to begin the design phase of the hotel. The group is responsible for some of the most opulent resorts from New York to Barcelona and is set to inject some wow factor to the Far North town.

“We are trying to bring the bling back to Port Douglas,” Mr Chiodo said.

“We are going all out to make this a state-of-the-art eco-conscious development that integrates with the entire community.

“We are talking about absolute uber five-star luxury here, the very high end.”

The development is set to inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the struggling town which has been hit hard by the loss of tourists due to the coronavirus crisis.

The finished product will include rooftop bars, cafes, a signature chef restaurant, swimming pools, a day spa and business conference and wedding facilities. It will also have a 136-space basement carpark. Mr Chiodo said the facilities would be enjoyed by the entire community, not just paying guests.

“We also want to bring back some fantastic wedding experiences for the town,” Mr Chiodo said.

Preparations are now under way to clear the site, next to the Oaks Resort, with a view to “hopefully get some early work in” before the end of the year.

“We want to create some jobs up there in Port Douglas and will enter into discussions with the local council to have our development levies spent in the town,” Mr Chiodo said.

“We are talking about millions of dollars in levies that we want to reinject back into the community.”

The former Havana resort project at Port Douglas has remained partially built since original developers failed to secure the $132 million needed to get it off the ground in 2005.