Crown Resorts has big plans for casino developments across Australia. The latest is a 90-storey hotel and apartment tower at Crown Melbourne, which will cost $1.5 billion to construct. The new tower has been designed by Wilkinson Eyre, which is a British architecture firm. It will house 388 hotel rooms and 680 apartments. There will also be an event space, a restaurant and a rooftop terrace.
The building will stand 317 metres tall. Executives at Crown Resorts are confident that the new building will attract a new group of patrons to the casino. Packer is confident that it will boost tourism in Melbourne and by attracting more wealthy visitors and as well those in town for conferences and sporting events.
Recently, Crown has been focused on its casino properties in Asia, tapping into an emerging market for high rollers from China and the Philippines. However, tightening restrictions on gambling in Macau has seen profits quickly decline – so, James Packer has reset his focus on the Australian gambling market. Melbourne seems to be the ideal place for Crown Resorts to invest in.
The city’s three existing Southbank hotels have over 90% occupancy at any given time, so Crown could certainly reap plenty of benefits. "Melbourne just keeps getting better as a city, but we can't take this success for granted," Packer says. "A new hotel is the next evolution of Crown Melbourne. I am committed to this city and committed to keeping Crown Melbourne at the forefront of Australian tourism."
The tower will also feature a glass skybridge over Queen Street. It would connect the hotel lobby to the main floor of the Crown Melbourne Casino, making the property into one integrated casino resort.
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