NEW FIVE-STAR HOTEL COMING TO NEWCASTLE

Renders by Barney Collins, EJE Architecture

Newcastle is set to have its first five-star hotel, with hospitality group Crystalbrook Collection winning the tender to acquire Newcastle’s iconic ‘Roundhouse’ Council Administrative Centre with intention to convert the building into a luxury hotel, to open in late 2020.

The hotel will be named Kingsley, following the group's naming philosophy of giving each of their properties a gender-neutral name and unique personality. Kingsley is representative of Newcastle’s heritage and the city’s earlier name, Kingstown, dating back to 1804.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes hailed the landmark deal as a turning point in Newcastle’s history.

"Great cities around the world provide truly great accommodation. And the mark of a great hotel is one done to a five-star standard. Crystalbrook’s decision to invest in Newcastle, when they could have invested anywhere in Australia, says so much about our city and how we are viewed by those living interstate and overseas," said Ms Nelmes.

"I applaud Crystalbrook's vision in re-imagining the CAC's brutalist architecture. Reviewing their plans and renders, their vision for the building is an ideal adaptive reuse. In the space of less than two years, Newcastle will have a building that is both iconic and luxurious.”