The Latest Tourism Improvements in Sydney, Australia

From overhauled luxury hotels to redeveloped cruise terminals, following are some of the exciting advances happening in Sydney, Australia.

Convention Center
Darling Harbour will welcome Australia’s largest conference center come December 2016: International Conference Centre Sydney (ICC). Its floor plan encompasses 40 meeting rooms (8,000 square meters); an outside event deck with a bar and lounge (5,000 square meters); a grand ballroom for banquets with a capacity of more than 2,000 people (almost double of previous capacity); and a theater with a capacity of 8,000 people. The convention center will have up-to-date technology, including Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the area.  

During construction, Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island, open since February, will continue to act as an interim facility for events, trade shows and exhibitions.

Cruise Facilities
Cruise demand continues to grow in New South Wales, and the industry is responding accordingly. Sydney Ports Corporation recently added a new mooring point to the Overseas Passenger Terminal (OPT) in The Rocks district to better cater to large cruise ships docking in Sydney.  

Sydney Ports has also been working toward a cohesive redevelopment of Circular Quay harbor’s OPT.

Financial and Business Center
Running alongside Sydney Harbour’s shore, the Barangaroo Project intends to transform the inner-city suburb of Barangaroo into Sydney’s premier financial and business hub. The project is composed of three zones: Headland Park, Barangaroo South and Central Barangaroo. Headland Park will feature revamped walking and cycling areas, plus a new cultural center. Barangaroo South will act as a tourism, business, retail and residential area, including a new 500-room hotel. Central Barangaroo will become a cultural and civic space for recreation, entertainment and leisure activities.  

Hotels
First up is InterContinental Sydney Double Bay, a refurbishment of the former Ritz Carlton Double Bay resort. The historic property will feature 140 ultra-modern rooms; as well as a ballroom; a meeting space; several dining and drinking spaces; a ground-floor arcade with spa amenities and retail space; and a rooftop pool. The property has begun taking bookings for Nov. 15 and beyond. 

The Langham, Sydney, located at The Rocks, is scheduled to reopen on Dec. 1 after a multimillion dollar refurbishment. The facelift includes updates to the hotel’s 96 guestrooms and its communal areas, including the residential-style ballroom and the on-site spa.

Additional hotel updates include Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour, which is undertaking a redevelopment to add a new tower and 230 rooms to its current 683-room roster. The 271-room Sebel Surry Hills hotel was rebranded as Rydges Sydney Central this year, and Central Station Hotel in Sydney also received a makeover, doubling in size to 114 guestrooms.

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