IHG Hotels and Resorts has expanded its regional footprint with two new hotels to anchor major mixed-use developments in Newcastle and Gosford.

This latest signing of Crowne Plaza Newcastle and Hotel Indigo Gosford with Urban Property Group builds on the developers’ partnership with IHG, following a Crowne Plaza Parramatta agreement in 2025. The new projects now include three hotels spanning metropolitan and regional NSW.

“Partnerships like this allow us to expand with greater pace and conviction, bringing the right brands to high-potential markets alongside owners who share our long-term vision for growth,” IHG Hotels and Resorts Director Development Australasia and Pacific Cameron Burke told HM exclusively.

The two new hotels will anchor major mixed-use developments in Gosford and Newcastle, with Hotel Indigo introducing a lifestyle offering to the Central Coast and Crowne Plaza returning IHG to Newcastle with a premium hotel and meetings and events proposition.

“Regional growth is an important part of our strategy in Australia, particularly in markets benefiting from sustained investment in infrastructure, tourism and major development. Newcastle and the Central Coast are both significant visitor and economic centres, and we see strong long-term potential for high-quality internationally branded hotels in these locations,” IHG Hotels and Resorts Managing Director, Australasia and Pacific, Matt Tripolone said.

“Crowne Plaza Newcastle and Hotel Indigo Gosford are outstanding additions to our portfolio and very well suited to their respective markets. We are excited to return Crowne Plaza to Newcastle and to bring Hotel Indigo’s distinctive neighbourhood-led experience to the Central Coast for the first time.”

The 171-room Crowne Plaza Newcastle is slated to open in late 2029, forming part of Urban’s mixed-use development adjacent to Newcastle Interchange. The hotel will sit within the 43-storey development, alongside 219 residential apartments and feature all-day dining, lobby bar, 550sqm of meetings and events space, an expansive ballroom, pool and landscaped public spaces.

The 152-room Hotel Indigo Gosford slated to open mid-2030 will form part of Urban’s The Waterfront precinct and feature a café and bar, rooftop pool and premium wellness facilities. Debuting the brand in NSW’s Central Coast, IHG expects it will bring a new internationally branded lifestyle offering to the market.

“As Urban continues to evolve, hospitality is a natural extension of our residential, retail and commercial business, helping us create complete destinations and experiences. By integrating internationally recognised hotel brands into our major precincts, we are creating places that people can live, work, stay and connect, while supporting the long-term growth of these regions,” Urban Property Group Co-CEO, Patrick Elias said.