IHG has opened the first Voco hotel just five months after the brand was launched.
Located in Australia’s Surfers Paradise, the 389-room Voco Gold Coast is owned by Australian property-investment firm SB&G Group, which inked the deal with IHG in June, coinciding with the global launch of the Voco brand.
“We are proud to be the first owner of a Voco-branded hotel in the world and to have worked closely with IHG to bring this new brand and service culture to the Gold Coast, making the high-quality refurbishment a reality in only five months,” said Paul Salter, SB&G Group managing director, in a statement.
The public space of Voco Gold Coast has a Social House Café, a bar and lounge for guests and locals. Other elements include two swimming pools, gym facilities, L'Aqua Day Spa and 800 square meters of meeting space. The property also has three restaurants.
Voco Gold Coast offers several exclusive features, like onsite beehives that produce honey for various uses throughout the hotel. The property also uses refillable dispensers for soap, and has formed an initiative with Gold Coast City Council to ensure all kitchen waste is recycled.
The opening of Voco Gold Coast will be followed by hotel openings in Solihull and Cardiff in the UK.
With six signings to date, in addition to four properties that will rebrand as part of a UK portfolio deal, IHG expects more than 15 signings by year's end for the brand. These include three signings in Australia: in Victoria’s wine region, the Yarra Valley and in Melbourne’s central business district, as well as a number of properties in the UK.