Huge plans for Pullman
New owners ready to splash out $16m for upgrade
PLANS are under way to give the colonial-style Pullman Cairns International Hotel a multi-million dollar upgrade.
General manager Paul Morton said its new owners. Shakespeare Property Group, were willing to spend between $10 million and $16 million to give the 323-room building a fresh lease of life.
The iconic 17-storey building was bought by a syndicate led by Yong Quek’s littleknown Shakespeare Property Group in Melbourne in May for $75.08 million, about $8.1 million above the hotel’s $67 million March valuation.
He said Shakespeare was positive about tourism and hospitality in Cairns and was keen to invest in the showcase hotel.
“The owners are keen to reestablish the property as the premium hotel in Cairns,” Mr Morton said.
He said the bulk of the work would be the rooms with other areas including the car park and drive way, conference rooms, pool deck, back of house, elevators and the kitchens.
Future works included the main bar and restaurant and the Village Lane tenancies also owned by Shakespeare.
Mr Morton said there was no need to touch the hotel’s impressive foyer.
He said some work had been done about five years ago but not on a large scale.
“We are currently talking to two Sydney-based interior designers who will be doing the redesigns,” he said.
But, Mr Morton said, the owners were keen to have the building work done by Cairnsbased subcontractors and tradesmen and women.
“Our hotel engineer has a good relationship with local contractors going back 20 years. We don’t want to import people,” he said.
Mr Morton said the rooms would be upgraded although the original marble fixtures would remain.
“The rooms are 40sq m each, some of the largest rooms in Cairns. We will be updating, even the airconditioning, TVs, Wi-Fi, all soft furnishings, new fixtures and fittings in the bathroom. They will be modernised.”
Mr Morton said a mock room was being prepared for opening in May-June but room upgrades would not take place until after the peak season in about October next year.
He said the audiovisual works by Staging Connections in the 11 conference rooms and the ballroom, including giant TV screens, were due to be completed next month.
Mr Morton said the refurbishments would reflect a modern corporate hotel as well as providing for their leisure guests.
“We are a corporate hotel although we want to retain the colonial feel as well as aspects of the Reef and rainforest,” he said.
Mr Morton said the rooms would probably have local artworks too.
He said the hotel employed 200 staff and the Pullman brand would remain.
Mr Morton said the hotel’s meetings, incentives, conventions and events business was high, about 60 per cent, with 20 per cent corporate and the balance of tourists, although it did fluctuate.
About 40 per cent of guests were international, mainly Asian, including Japanese and Chinese, Europeans and North American.
Mr Morton said he was appointed in September to oversee the upgrade.
He started with AccorHotels in 2007 and was promoted to general manager of Ibis Styles Karratha in 2010 before being appointed as Mercure Launceston general manager in 2011. His most recent role was Mercure Cairns Harbourside general manager.
The hotel was bought from Japanese giant Daikyo in 2005 in a deal between TMG and Mirvac Hotels. In 2012 Singapore-based Ascendas Hospitality Trust bought Mirvac’s hotel portfolio.