New hotel and offices for Newcastle’s waterfront

13 February 2021

The transformation of Newcastle’s waterfront into a vibrant business and commercial hub continues with NSW Government approval of a $44 million hotel and office development in the Honeysuckle Precinct.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes today announced the approval to transform 42 Honeysuckle Drive into a nine-storey mixed-use development which included an office tower and hotel with a gym, bar, café and car parking.

The Doma  Group won the tender to purchase the site from the Hunter & Central Coast Development Corporation in 2017 with plans to build a nine-storey residential and hotel building.

At the time, Doma managing director Jure Domazet said their design for 42 Honeysuckle Drive formalised the relationship between the hotel and office—creating an integrated commercial precinct.

“The Honeysuckle Precinct has undergone a major facelift in recent years as more than 50 hectares of former industrial and maritime land has been transformed into a centre for entertainment, tourism, employment and recreation,” Mr Stokes said.

“A 187-room boutique hotel will provide new and much-needed accommodation for visitors at a time when domestic travel is more popular than ever.

“Not only will the $44 million development drive investment in Newcastle, it will also provide 1,000 new construction jobs and support 60 ongoing jobs once complete.”

Member of the Legislative Council Taylor Martin said the plans will help create a stronger tourism outcome for the Honeysuckle Precinct.

“A combination of tourist and business visitors, as well as more hotel rooms, means that we’ll see more people visiting the area – both day and night,” Mr Martin said.

“This is a great outcome for Newcastle and helps the local economy by providing opportunities for jobs and investment.”

Construction will commence later this year and is expected to be completed in 2023.