Australia off agenda for Red Carnation

Australia off agenda for Red Carnation
By admin


The Travel Corporation has all-but abandoned plans to bring Red Carnation hotels to Australia following the mining slowdown in Perth.

The WA capital had been earmarked as the launch city for the upscale brand as the resources boom and lack of top end properties made the city an attractive proposition.

The Travel Corporation president and chief executive Brett Tollman told Travel Today the interest in Perth was on the assumption the mining boom would continue. But things have changed, he said.

“The mining industry has softened and I was told occupancy has dropped 25% over the last 12 months so it’s clearly gone off the boil,” Tollman explained. “We looked at Perth because it was underserved in the luxury sector and with the expectation that mining would remain very strong. But things have moved on a bit since then.”

Sydney was also a target for Red Carnation but the lack of available sites has blocked any move.

Tollman said the company would ideally need a former Government heritage-listed building that it could transform into a hotel.

“I looked at this three years ago but have not heard another word since,” he said. “If and when the Government decides to put some of their buildings on the market we’d love to have a look. Everything is in the timing and the financials.”

Asked whether brining Red Carnation to Australia was effectively off the agenda, Tollman said: “Yes, I’d say so.”

Pictured: Red Carnation's Old Government House Hotel and Spa in Guernsey.

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