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Australia is already home to seven InterContinental properties but by the end of 2021, that number will go up to eight following the announcement that the Hotel Continental on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula will reopen as the InterContinental Sorrento later this year.
Not to be confused with Sorrento in Italy (one website has already made that mistake), the Sorrento in Victoria sits south of Melbourne (which has its own InterContinental property) at the entrance to Port Philip Bay.
The former Hotel Continental (apparently known as ‘the Conti’ to locals) is in the middle of a big restoration project that will see the 145-year-old heritage-listed limestone building transformed and brought into the 21st Century with 106 “beautifully appointed, spacious guestrooms”, many of which will feature water views.
IHG has said that a “high-profile chef partnership” will soon be announced for the property’s signature restaurant, with the hotel also expected to be home to five other dining and bar outlets.
As well as extensive dining facilities, the newly renamed InterContinental Sorrento will feature a large wellness center incorporating a luxury bathhouse, an outdoor pool, a gym, and three function and event spaces, including the Conti’s original iconic grand ballroom.
Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s Vice President, Development for Australasia, Japan & Pacific, is quoted as having said the following:
“We could not be more delighted to be adding this very special hotel to our InterContinental portfolio and we’re so pleased to be embarking on the restoration process with this great Consortium of partners. InterContinental hotels around the world, all have a fascinating, alluring story to tell and InterContinental Sorrento with its rich 145-year history is no exception; it perfectly complements our portfolio. We have been looking to grow outside of central Melbourne for some time, and to be expanding into regional Victoria with a property of this calibre and in such a prime tourism location, is incredibly exciting.
“With regional tourism in places such as the Mornington Peninsula benefiting from pent-up traveller demand due to Covid-19, the hotel is in a sweet spot to capitalise on this influx of travellers, and with very few luxury hotel offerings in the area, InterContinental Sorrento will be a welcome addition to the region and a treasured addition to the IHG network.”
The InterContinental Sorrento is scheduled to start welcoming guests from November 2021 in time for the southern hemisphere’s summer season. The property doesn’t yet appear on IHG.com so there’s no way of seeing how costly (or otherwise) rooms will be and what the cost of award nights will be like, but based on what I know of a few of the other InterContinental properties in Australia, this could turn out to be a very good property at which to burn some points – TFM will be back with an update once the Intercontinental Sorrento starts to take bookings.
