IHG and Pro-Invest Group will open the first Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants property in Australia in October 2021, following the conversion and repositioning of Primus Sydney.

Set to occupy a heritage building in the heart of New South Wales’ largest city, Kimpton Sydney is sure to turn plenty of heads.

The transformation of a landmark

Widely considered an industry pioneer for first introducing the boutique concept to the US in 1981, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has long been known for its signature service and experiences that aim to foster connections. Its latest outpost, which involves the conversion and repositioning of the existing Primus Sydney hotel, will take over a heritage-listed 1930s art-deco revival of inter-war period architecture that was once home to the Sydney Water Board. The guestrooms, lobby and F&B offering will all be revamped as part of the scheme.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are to finally bring the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand to Australia,” said Leanne Harwood, IHG’s managing director for Australasia, Japan and Pacific. “We are very mindful of how special the Kimpton brand is, and that’s why it’s been so important to us that we only bring it to market with the right owner and when we have the perfect property to bring it to life.

“The Primus Sydney property oozes Kimpton character. As soon as we saw it, we knew it had to wear the Kimpton badge, and we are so glad Pro-invest agrees and has put its full weight behind the brand. We are so proud to have such a great long-term partnership with Pro-invest that already includes 13 open or pipeline hotels across three IHG brands, and we look forward to continuing that growth together.”

The ideal fit for its location

Kimpton Sydney will incorporate 172 design-led guestrooms and suites, along with a range of culinary experiences including a lobby bar, rooftop restaurant and café, as well as a rooftop swimming pool and event space. The lifestyle programming here will encompass a number of complimentary experiences such as morning kickstart coffee and tea, yoga lessons, bike rental and Kimpton’s Social Hour.

Based on its philosophy and design approach, Kimpton feels like the ideal fit for the midtown precinct location of this Sydney hotel. It’s also within easy reach of the State Theatre and Capitol Theatre, as well as the QVB retail precinct, performing arts centres and the International Convention Centre.

Jan Smits, co-CEO at Pro-invest, said: “Such a uniquely beautiful and historic hotel called for a brand that would bring the guest experience to life, and as each Kimpton hotel is a hotel-of-one, individually designed to blend the surrounding environment with local culture, offering guests an authentic and playful experience, we knew it was the right choice.”

IHG and Pro-invest first collaborated on the 2016 opening of Australia’s first Holiday Inn Express in Sydney’s Macquarie Park. They have since expanded the partnership to include new brands, with six hotels in the pipeline at present under the Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, Voco and now Kimpton flags.

IHG currently has 60 operating hotels across Australasia.

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