IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) is partnering with Plenary Group to bring a Crowne Plaza property to Geelong, a regional city 75 kilometers southwest of Melbourne, Australia.

Scheduled to open in 2026, the new build, 200-room Crowne Plaza Geelong will be part of the Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre precinct development project, which forms part of the Geelong City Deal, a collaborative plan by the Australian and Victorian governments and the City of Greater Geelong to transform the region.

The redevelopment, which was unveiled last week, includes the construction of a purpose-built convention and exhibition space. In addition to the Crowne Plaza Geelong, there will be a 1,000-seat venue, two large exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, conference facilities and flexible event spaces as well as new retail spaces featuring hospitality offerings and a large public plaza on the Geelong waterfront.

The Crowne Plaza Geelong’s 200 rooms are expected to include suites up to a 720 square feet in size. The property will also have an extensive restaurant and bar offering, as well as a pool and gym, And, while it will be connected to the convention and exhibition centre, the hotel itself will have its own meeting and event spaces.

With the new 180-room Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong due to open in September this year, IHG is on track to be the largest global hotel operator in Geelong. It continues IHG’s suburban and regional expansion in Victoria that has also seen it add Holiday Inn Dandenong earlier in the year, Holiday Inn Werribee in 2021 and InterContinental Sorrento in 2022. The hospitality company will also open six new hotels in Greater Melbourne in the next 12 months under the Crowne Plaza, voco, Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn brands.

“We’re thrilled to be planning this partnership with Plenary Group and extending our reach across regional Victoria with the Crowne Plaza brand,” said Cameron Burke, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ director of development for Australasia and Pacific. “This is an incredibly exciting development, and we will be delighted to be part of a precinct that will become a crown jewel for the city of Geelong. The addition of Crowne Plaza to Geelong would help capture visitation from both corporate and leisure travellers alike and serve as a strong endorsement to the pipeline of growth opportunities we’re currently experiencing throughout metropolitan and regional markets. With the opening of Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong also imminent, we’re excited at the prospect of becoming the largest global operator in Geelong and to maintaining our accelerated growth trajectory across Australia.”

Crowne Plaza properties in Australia include the Crowne Plaza Adelaide, Crowne Plaza Hobart, Crowne Plaza Sydney Darling Harbour, Crowne Plaza Burwood, Crowne Plaza Sydney Coogee Beach, Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley, and Crowne Plaza Melbourne. Looking ahead, Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton and Crowne Plaza Shell Cove Marina will open in 2024.