Transformed Canberra Office Building Re-Opens as Mantra MacArthur Hotel

The Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Steven Ciobo MP, and ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay MLA, officially opened the Mantra MacArthur Hotel in Canberra on Monday.

Formerly an office tower, which has been transformed into a 176-room hotel as part of the city's urban renewal program, Mantra MacArthur Hotel is the only new hotel to open in Canberra in 2017.

The hotel is operated by Mantra Group and owned by Canberra developer HTI Group.

Mantra Group Chief Executive Officer, Bob East, said, “New hotels in key precincts play a critical role in promoting a vibrant visitor economy while meeting the needs of growing visitor numbers to Canberra, attracting first-time and returning domestic and international travellers. We’re thrilled to partner with local developer HTI Group on this project, which is a win for the economic growth of Canberra from both a tourism and jobs creation perspective.”

The opening of Mantra MacArthur Hotel now sees Mantra Group operating just under 500 rooms across four hotels in Canberra.

HTI Group Director Adam Howarth said feedback on the $19 million retrofit has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Northbourne Avenue’s regeneration has been largely the product of major knockdown-rebuild projects but, instead of sending the 10-storey building to landfill or concrete recyclers, we’ve transformed it into a full-service hotel in what looks like a brand new building,” said Mr Howarth. “The former building is barely recognisable and, while the main precast facade elements of the original office building were retained, the remainder was stripped back to a bare shell to allow us to create a modern hotel.”

Mantra MacArthur Hotel anchors Canberra’s new mixed-use Midtown precinct, which will also include residential units, office space and a range of cafes and restaurants.

Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, said, “It’s great to visit the new Mantra MacArthur Hotel. In the year to June 2017, Canberra saw 2.8 million domestic and international visitors and recorded a spend of over $2 billion, according to Tourism Research Australia. I congratulate Mantra Group and HTI Group for their vision in converting this former office building into an attractive new hotel for visitors coming to stay in the nation’s capital.”

Designed by AMC Architecture, the hotel features 136 hotel rooms and 40 suites, as well as the new Podilato restaurant and bar serving Mediterranean-style cuisine, a fully equipped gym, conference and meeting spaces, car parking, an internet lounge and 24-hour reception.

Mantra MacArthur Hotel is located at 219 Northbourne Avenue in Canberra’s inner city suburb of Turner. The hotel is located close to the central business district, the Australian National University and has a light rail stop, which seamlessly connects the hotel with the city, directly outside the hotel.

See also: AccorHotels to Acquire Australia’s Mantra Group.

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