AFTER years of frustrating delays, Albany could be on track to have two luxury hotels.
Formerly located at Middleton Beach, The Esplanade Hotel was demolished in February 2007 by its Singaporean owners, WSP Plaza (which is controlled by investment outfit CS Partners), with little activity at the site since that time.
In response to this torpor, some local residents formed the Middleton Beach Users Group to speed up development proceedings.
Albany Mayor Milton Evans told WA Business News he was planning a trip to Singapore in the coming weeks to meet CS Partners, hopefully accompanied by members from Tourism WA, to ascertain the reason behind the delays and reaffirm the town’s support for the planned $70 million, 81-room five-star hotel complex.
“I think we’re seeing a light at the end of a tunnel and I know the future is very bright for Albany ... we must keep abreast of the appropriateness of the development,” Mr Evans said.
“I wouldn’t be going down this road if I didn’t feel there was likely to be a positive outcome.”
He said business and leisure travellers continued to be turned away from the town due to a lack of appropriate accommodation facilities.
The state government’s pending commencement of the formal marketing process for a hotel site at The Waterfront at Albany, with expressions of interest seeking submissions for a minimum four-star hotel and short-stay serviced apartments, may help alleviate the current shortfall.
Lands Minister Brendon Grylls said there was room in the expanding Albany economy for two new hotel developments.
“If we grow Albany to the degree we want to, then we will have a waterfront [hotel] and we will have a Middleton Beach [hotel],” he said.
