Marriott to open five star Westin resort at Margaret River’s Gnarabup Beach
Marriott International has signed a hotel management agreement with joint venture development partners Saracen Properties and Security Capital Australia for a five star resort on the southern headland of Gnarabup Beach.
Westin Margaret River Resort and Spa, as it will be branded when it opens in 2023, will contain 120 rooms, three restaurants and 400 square metres of meeting space.
Penned by Christou Design Group, it also includes a resort-style outdoor swimming pool and day spa.
CBRE Hotels with law firm King & Wood Mallesons connected Marriott to the developers – two of Western Australia’s largest.
In a tourism hot-spot near a popular beach at the mouth of the Margaret River – the facility will capture uninterrupted views over the Indian Ocean, the brokers said.
“The earmarked site has direct access to the famous Cape to Cape walking trail, nearby national forests, ancient caves and world-class surf breaks”.
Ten kilometres from the Margaret River Town Centre, the property is near wineries, premium food producers and art houses (story continues below).
CBRE’s head of Capital Markets, Western Australia, Aaron Desange said “the Westin Margaret River Resort & Spa will be a major draw-card for the South West region and will further boost Margaret River’s presence on the international stage”.
“More than 15 regional and international operators bid for this opportunity, which underlines the scarcity of five-star resort development opportunities in thriving regional Australian leisure markets,” the executive added.
“Importantly, this announcement will increase the region’s luxury tourism appeal, which will help contribute to injecting much-needed revenue back into our state after particularly challenging economic times”.
Carl Black, partner and head of Real Estate for KWM in WA, said the deal “was successfully negotiated during a particularly difficult and unusual period for the hotel industry” but that the deal was made possible given all parties involved had the capacity “to see past the present and into a promising future for high quality…product”.
Last July AC Marriott committed to part of a 40-storey building under construction in Melbourne’s Southbank.
It had also previously agreed to occupy a 176-suite hotel earmarked for a nearby site 424-426 St Kilda Road.
