Australasian hospitality business EVT Hotels & Resorts has launched its international expansion, signing a hotel in Singapore that will rebrand later this year to its QT brand.
Hotel Telegraph in Singapore closed in April 2024 for a refit, and will reopen in its new guise in September as the first QT hotel outside Australia and New Zealand. EVT was awarded the management contract for the hotel at the end of December 2023, initially operating the property under its existing name while plans for the refurbishment were put in place.
Taking the first step
“This is a pleasing step forward in our hotels network expansion strategy, and we are delighted to be working with Sunray to make Singapore the first QT hotel outside of Australia and New Zealand,” said EVT’s chief executive, Jane Hastings. “We are excited to introduce the energy and vibrancy that guests already love in Australia and New Zealand, to Singapore.” The addition takes the total EVT managed portfolio of properties to a respectable 82 hotels. Currently, there are 10 hotels under the QT brand across Australia and New Zealand, with a further site in development to create QT Parramatta, expected to open in the coming months.
A substantial core of the EVT hospitality business is the Rydges brand. Across Australia and New Zealand Rydges has 60 hotels, totalling 7,400 rooms. New additions in the pipeline include Adelaide and Australia Square in Sydney.
EVT is also expanding its LyLo hostel brand, which is launched in 2022. In May 2024, it opened in Brisbane, adding to an existing presence in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown. The Brisbane property saw the previous Limes Hotel transformed to create a hybrid accommodation offer including sleeping pods, arranged with four or six per shared room; as well as ensuite rooms, and larger rooms for families and groups, with sleeping for four in an ensuite package. LyLo Brisbane also includes flexible coworking space, and a rooftop hangout area with kitchen and bar.
Further sites have already been identified for the growth of LyLo in Australia. A flagship development will launch on the Gold Coast, while a property in Fremantle is also in the works.
Building more brands
Aside from its QT and LyLo brands, EVT is also growing its Independent Collection, where it manages independent and individual hotels for owners. One key partner with this brand is Invictus Developments, which has now entrusted three hotels to the collection brand: The Harbour Rocks and Old Clare in Sydney, and most recently the Inchcolm in Brisbane. The latest addition takes the total portfolio of the Independent Collection to 19 properties.
The group is also growing its Atura brand, currently with five hotels, which it says has interior style that is “industrial and art inspired”. A further site is in planning for the brand, Atura Oran Park, which is expected to open in early 2027. And there is Thredbo, a winter and summer sports destination which is managed by EVT. This mountain resort and village in New South Wales has the longest ski runs in Australia.
