Ritz-Carlton to open at The Star Sydney

Ritz-Carlton will return to Sydney as part of a major expansion of The Star development, it has been revealed.

At the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne this week, The Star Sydney’s general manager for hotels, John Autelitano, unveiled plans for a major AU$1 billion (US$718 million) development of the harbour-side complex over the next five years.

This work will include addition of a new hotel tower, which will be branded as a Ritz-Carlton, plus a “connected ribbon development”, new F&B options and additional meeting space.

“Continued strong growth in international travel has resulted in new records for Australian tourism; welcoming over 6.6m international visitors in 2014-15, an increase of 7% on the previous period. For Sydney to remain at the forefront of this tourism boom, more accommodation, facilities and event spaces are required,” said Autelitano.

“We are seeking various approvals to develop a new hotel tower and ribbon development that would further enliven the Pyrmont precinct and boost The Star’s accommodation offering beyond 1,000 rooms.

“We are also in discussions with The Ritz-Carlton in relation to branding of the proposed hotel tower and are excited about the prospect of bringing the Ritz-Carlton hotel brand back in Sydney to add to the experiences on offer at The Star,” he added.

Ritz-Carlton previously operated a hotel in Sydney’s Double Bay which was a favourite with celebrities and gained notoriety as the place where Australian rock star Michael Hutchence committed suicide in 1997. The hotel has recently reopened as an InterContinental.

Ritz-Carlton is currently without a presence in Australia, but is planning to return to the country with the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Perth in 2018.

The Star Sydney is currently home to hotels, residences, a spa, multiple restaurants and bars, casinos, a theatre and extensive conference facilities.