The ‘Open Lobby’ design features lounge areas, flexible meeting spaces and plenty of charging ports for guests’ personal devices.
Holiday Inn’s innovative ‘Open Lobby’ concept has made its debut in Australia, with IHG Hotels and Resorts today opening its newest hotel in the outer Melbourne suburb of Werribee.
The new Holiday Inn Werribee features 150 rooms and sits within a mixed-use development on Synnot Street, offering views towards the Melbourne city skyline.
Guest facilities at the new hotel include the onsite Rosana Bistro and Bar, which serves a modern Australian menu with local produce.
The Open Lobby concept along with a lounge area and ‘E-Bar’ tech area with access to computer, power points for charging devices and wireless printing. The ultra-modern rooms will offer comfortable bedding, high-speed WiFi and large smart televisions.
A variety of flexible meeting spaces also feature as part of an overall 491 square metres of function and event rooms, headlined by the 240-seat Cheetham Ballroom and a spacious pre-function area with open-air balcony.
Debuting with Werribee, the brand’s Open Lobby concept will feature in six other Holiday Inn properties opening over the next few years, including Holiday Inn properties in Geelong, Coburg, Dandenong, Richmond and a dual-branded property coming to the Melbourne CBD. The Open Lobby will also be found at Queenstown in New Zealand upon the opening of its new Holiday Inn. The design will eventually be retrofitted across the existing suite of Holiday Inn properties in Australasia.
The new approach to lobby design sees a blending of the front desk, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business centre into one highly flexible space. At the same time, an update of the overall design will see a more modern look adapted to suit consumer needs and each individual hotel’s character and surroundings, while providing a positive customer experience throughout.
Holiday Inn Werribee General Manager, Preston Miskelly, said the team was excited to open and welcome the first guests to the hotel.
“We are especially excited about our open lobby with its floor to ceiling windows and amazing views, not only does it give our guests a warm and welcoming place to relax, work or socialise, it is also home to our modern restaurant and bar,” he said.
“It is the ideal location to enjoy dinner or drinks with family and friends as you watch the sun go down.”
The Open Lobby concept was devised following significant research from IHG, with design teams poring over consumer data and research which looked at how people use space at home and how this can be combined and delivered in one engaging, functional and productive space. Since its debut, Open Lobby has resulted in an uptick in guest feedback and improved revenue at F&B venues.
