Year delay to opening of $90m Doubletree by Hilton Perth Waterfront hotel at Elizabeth Quay

Difficulties working on the Swan River at Elizabeth Quay have pushed the opening date for the $90 million Doubletree by Hilton Perth Waterfront out to the end of this year — more than a year beyond its September 2018 target date.

SKS Group, the Malaysian hotel, retail and residential property developer, has in recent weeks celebrated the opening of the $70 million Doubletree by Hilton Northbridge, which started taking guests in December.

It plans to start work on a $115 million Fremantle Doubletree by Hilton and apartment complex this year and is finalising plans for an $80 million Hampton Inn by Hilton in Cockburn Central.

The sizeable $355 million investment in WA hotels coincides with a splash of newer city offerings, including InterContinental Perth City Centre, The Westin and QT hotels. The RitzCarlton is scheduled to open next year.

SKS Group managing director Windi Sim said usually construction took about two-and-a-half years but difficulties with the riverfront site blew out the timetable. The collapse of Marine & Civil, which was contracted for the preliminary works only, was not a factor in the delay, she said.

As well, Ms Sim said restrictions around construction noise and traffic had slowed building, which is taking place in in a tourist precinct.

If each of the four properties are built, it represents a $350 million-plus investment in WA tourism by the group.

“We trust that Perth is a fantastic place with the right tourist attractions,” Ms Sim said, adding that it was important to have a focused strategy to ensure stronger links with Asia to increase tourist numbers and Perth’s population.

Despite recent revelations about falling WA tourism numbers, SKS Group was upbeat about the prospects of increased domestic and international tourist numbers particularly given the advent of direct flights between Perth and Britain and more Asian destinations.

“SKS is confident that with WA tourism, stability in commercial, industrial markets and mining activity over the next few years, new hotel rooms will be absorbed,” Ms Sim said.

“Newer hotels with distinctive branding, such as Hilton, command higher than average room rates and occupancy compared with others.”