Luxury hotels in Sydney and Melbourne are delaying their openings in an effort to bypass the Covid-19 restrictions that have seen occupancy levels decimated nationwide.
Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group and Hilton have all delayed the opening of new hotels by up to six months.
IHG’s 152-room Crowne Plaza Sydney Darling Harbour has pushed back its opening from May to September while it undergoes an upgrade to cater for Covid-19 social distancing, including new floor plan layouts for its food and beverage venues.
W Melbourne announced it will open in December five months later than anticipated, while the 244-room Hilton Melbourne will open at the end of the year at the earliest, with bookings currently available from February 1, 2021.