HOPE AND GLORY

Northern Coast’s first new luxury hotel since 1986

THE northern Gold Coast is getting its first five-star hotel since Sanctuary Cove was built three decades ago.

Chinese Company Golden Horse will today announce plans for a 150-room hotel resort at Hope Island.

The $60 million development will be built beside Links Hope Island Gold Club which Golden Horse also owns.

Sanctuary Cove pioneered mass tourism on the northern Gold Coast when it opened in 1986 but the InterContinental remains the region’s only luxury hotel. It is understood the new hotel will operate under the AccorHotels brand.

A NEW 150-room hotel resort project for Hope Island will be unveiled today, three decades after Sanctuary Cove put the area on the map.

Chinese company Golden Horse will confirm plans for a $60 million development on land it bought in 2013 near Links Hope Island Golf Club, which it also owns.

Sources close to the project have confirmed it is a 150room hotel of five-star stande dard with associated pool and restaurant facilities.

It is one of the first significant hotel projects in the area since the late Mike Gore launched Sanctuary Cove in 1986 with a luxury hotel resort which is now branded as the InterContinental.

Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan said it was an exciting accommodation investment in the growing northern end of the city.

“It is another welcome addition,” Mr Donovan said.

“It is another statement about how people have confidence in the growth of the Gold Coast — particularly under the leadership of Mayor Tom Tate.

“I would think a lot of people are going to want to come play the golf courses and stay there.

“This city is in great shape right now to take advantage of everything going forward.”

It is understood the hotel will be operated under the Accor Hotels brand with senior representatives from Accor and Golden Horse Australia expected at today’s launch.

In July last year, the Bulletin revealed Golden Horse was working on plans for two development sites it had bought near the Links.

Full details of Golden Horse’s plans are being kept under wraps until this afternoon.

But it is beleived any hotel at The Links would match the five-star standard of one at a championship golf course the company owns outside Guangzhou in China.

At the time, Golden Horse was also understood to be mooting 30 waterfront townhouses and an upmarket day spa overlooking the resort’s Lake Lugano.

Hong Kong-based Golden Horse also owns the Noosa Springs course and last year launched a 20-level apartment tower for a Brisbane development site.

Golden Horse chairman Feng Di has a penchant for Hope Island.

He reportedly bought two five-bedroom houses in the same street.