The $40 million Lodge Wadjemup redevelopment on Rottnest Island is expected to start opening in stages by December, with the project to be fully finished by next year.
West Perth-based Place Development Australia was appointed as the preferred proponent to revamp Karma Resort in 2021.
Place Development said the operators were working towards soft opening for December 2024, with the first stage of the project comprising refurbished rooms and food and beverage offerings.
The company said it was looking forward to handing the project over to the operational team in the coming months.
The second stage of the project is estimated to be completed in late 2025 and will include lakeside refurbished rooms, a 150-person function centre and pool-side accommodation.
Place Development director Rob Bates-Smith said there had been challenges in taking on the project, considering the Aboriginal heritage, island location, and contractor procurement.
“We will likely only see a handful of such projects in our lifetime in terms of its complexities, and also its opportunity; an island location, highly significant cultural heritage and redevelopment commencing on the cusp of a post-COVID era in which build costs were skyrocketing and tourism projections were largely ambiguous,” he said.
“We were focused on developing a concept, in close collaboration with the Rottnest Island Authority, that would cater to both hotel guests and Island visitors.
“A connected, traversable, and welcoming destination that will most importantly widen accommodation options for locals and tourists further afield.
“The challenges have been ever-present, though also consistently outweighed by the teams’ enthusiasm to add to the fabric of the Island, with a very deliberate nod to the nostalgic and well-loved, relaxed ‘Rotto-beat’.”
The Lodge Wadjemup was designed by spaceagency architects and developed with Builden Construction, West to West Group, and Hassell.
Mr Bates-Smith said people were rightfully protective of the land on Rottnest Island land.
“Rather than advocating a change to this relaxed experience, our incredible team of architects, designers and builders have wholeheartedly focused on enhancing it, with a level of contemporary comfort that people can use as a launch pad to continue doing Rotto their way,” he said.
“There has been resolve for The Lodge Wadjemup to respect this attachment by offering visitors an inclusive experience, and we are excited to simply introduce much-needed, diversified accommodation to the island.”
More than 100 rooms will be available at Lodge Wadjemup, a mix of new and refurbished Karma Resort accommodation.
