A new-build Holiday Inn will open in the trendy inner-Melbourne suburb of Richmond in 2023, following the signing of a long-term management agreement between IHG® and a joint venture  between Pelligra Group, PrimeLand Group and Diamond Hospitality Singapore..

The stylishly designed 160-room hotel will be part of a mixed-use development and will feature IHG’s signature Open Lobby, combining the front desk, lobby, all day dining and bar, lounge area and business centre into an open space with fresh, modern design.

Directly opposite Burnley Station and a short 10-minute walk from the MCG and Rod Laver Arena, Holiday Inn Melbourne Richmond will be a new home away from home for football, tennis and cricket fans. Additionally, with so many demand drivers such as Botannica Corporate Park, Richmond health zone, the East Melbourne and Fitrzroy health & education precinct, and the bustling Melbourne CBD nearby, the hotel is sure to be a hit with corporate travellers to Melbourne.

Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s VP of Development, said: “Holiday Inn has made its mark as one of Australasia’s fasted growing hotel brands, and Holiday Inn Melbourne Richmond complements our 28 open or pipeline hotels. Not only is Richmond a great destination for sports fans, it boasts a number of demand drivers in the technology, health and education space, and we are confident this hotel will be a favourite with corporate, event and VFR travellers. We are exceptionally excited to build our relationship with Pelligra Group to bring this exciting Holiday Inn to the market.”

This is the second hotel signed between IHG and Pelligra Group, with Holiday Inn Melbourne Werribee also scheduled to open in early 2021.

Ross Pelligra, Chairman of Pelligra Group, said: “Richmond has undergone a transformation over the past few decades, gentrifying to become one of Melbourne’s trendier suburbs with fantastic retail, great restaurants in the popular Little Saigon area, and the iconic MCG, Rod Laver Arena and Richmond Football Club on the doorstep. We’re proud to be working again with IHG to open Holiday Inn Melbourne Richmond, giving travellers a globally-branded accommodation option in this trendy suburb near all the action.”

Robert Brij, Chairman of PrimeLand Group, said: “We are very excited about the growth in the hospitality sector across the country. Richmond is getting a well-deserved, iconic service provider in IHG to bring world-class facilities to this vibrant precinct.”

Holiday Inn prides itself on delivering an affordable, enjoyable hotel experience where guests are always welcomed warmly. The first opened its doors in 1952, and today the Holiday Inn Brand Family is the largest hotel brand in the world, with the largest development pipeline.

IHG has put a focus on regional growth in Australasia, with several recent Holiday Inn signings including in Queenstown’s Remarkables Park, Wagga Wagga, Melbourne Dandenong, Geelong, Melbourne Ringwood, Melbourne Coburg and Melbourne Werribee, which are all new build properties that will set a benchmark for the brand in the region.

IHG currently has 51 hotels operating under four brands in Australasia, including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, voco and Holiday Inn Express, with another 35 in the pipeline, including Hotel Indigo.