Barangaroo Hotel Axed? Sydney Hotel News

The luxury hotel to be built over Sydney Harbour as part of the $6 billion Barangaroo project is doomed after a review of the development ordered by the state government.



The findings of the review into Barangaroo, which will be considered by cabinet today, include a recommendation that the developer Lend Lease be urged to move the hotel to another part of the Barangaroo site as a ''demonstration of goodwill''. The landmark hotel, a cornerstone financial project, was not part of the original concept plan for Barangaroo but was included in Lend Lease's amendment in August last year.



A decision to locate the hotel over the harbour should be reviewed according to the report. ''It is the view of this review that the decision to select Lend Lease's non-conforming bid with the hotel in the harbour was consistent with good commercial practice and probity guidelines,'' the report says. ''But it looked and felt like an ambush to a number of those who had invested in the process leading up to the concept plan.”



The hotel, Sydney's first international premium hotel for more than a decade, was described by Lend Lease as being integral to the vibrancy of Barangaroo.

Sydney Rallies Against Barangaroo - Sydney Tourism News

Sydney saw a weekend of protests over the city’s vast Barangaroo development. Environmental activist Jack Mundey led a charge with the theme ''take your hotel out of our harbour'' aimed directly at developers.

The hotel, which is being eyed by Las Vegas operator MGM Resorts, would be built out into Sydney harbour.

The rally against the controversial $6 billion plans to develop the harbourside site of Barangaroo saw dozens of posters, variously urging the state government to ''scale back the towers'', developers to ''take your hotel out of our harbour'' and the people of Sydney to ''halt the high-rise bribery''.

Many of the protesters believe the view they have enjoyed will disappear entirely if a proposed complex of residential and commercial towers - the tallest standing 209m goes ahead. Jamie Parker, the mayor of Leichhardt, claimed the development was ''the wrong size, in the wrong place, with the wrong approach''.

Scott Woodcock, of the National Trust, which supports ''appropriate'' development of Barangaroo, said the site had become ''the dumping ground for poor government policy''. Or, as one poster put it, ''Baranga-rooted''.

The long-time environmental activist Jack Mundey accused the government of rushing to hand over the site to the developers Lend Lease before next year's election.

John Tabart, the head of the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, said recently excavation work could start as early as next month.

David Hutton, of Lend Lease, said, ''The development will transform the western edge of the city, produce 6000 new jobs, and return over 2km of foreshore to the public.''

Ash means cash for hotel industry (Sydney Hotels)

Travellers say hotels are cashing in on the hundreds of thousands of airline passengers stranded around the world as clouds of volcanic ash keep airspace closed over Europe and the UK.

Tourists stranded in Singapore, en route to the United Kingdom and Europe, say they are looking at paying at least $300 more than the normal rate for a one night hotel stay.

And that is if they can find a hotel with a vacancy.

Kate Edmondson was set to fly from Sydney to Dublin via Singapore on Thursday. She told ABC News Online she has made it as far as Singapore and will be kicked out of her hotel this afternoon.

Ms Edmondson says she is frantically trying to find somewhere else to stay.

"I've got a few leads with people and I've got my friends and family and the church in Australia trying to find me somewhere," she said.

"I think it will be resolved but it is scary to know in half-an-hour I'm going to go and sit down in the lobby for a while and think about what I'm going to do."

Ms Edmondson says competition for hotel rooms is fierce.

"I lost an opportunity this morning when someone offered me a room for $300 above the rate and it was a case of she who hesitates is lost," she said.

"I lost that room and once I rang back it was all gone. I really should have taken that room.

"I just wasn't sure about my travel insurance and I hesitated because I thought 'oh you're ripping me off' and instead of facing the reality of that's the position I'm in, I hesitated and I didn't take it."

Read FUll Story HERE

Looking for accommodation, see Metro Hotels