Wayfarer TV: Sydney Hotel Summit by AHICE draws record crowd
The Sydney Hotel Summit by AHICE is the fourth global event to launch under the AHICE ‘summit’ brand – alongside London, Los Angeles and Perth.
The half-day event on Friday 31 July included three hours of keynotes, Q&As and panel sessions featuring over 50 speakers focused on expectations for performance and growth in the Emerald City and greater NSW, brought together with the support of over 50 sponsors, including principal partners Hilton and Encore.
Kicking off proceedings was emcee, De Beaurepaire Wines Director, William De Beaurepaire and AHICE President and HM Editor-in-Chief, James Wilkinson, who said the ‘summit’ brand of events were all about “nailing down what is happening in that city, and Sydney is seeing some great performance”.
STR provided a positive outlook on Sydney’s hotel sector performance despite geopolitical instability, adding that global demand has remained “remarkably resilient”, according to STR’s Paul Hammond.
Hammond noted that a “disciplined yield approach” is taking positive effect across the Sydney market.
“Holding rate when occupancy peaks, rather than discounting for volume, is obviously shining through for a lot of the hotels here in Sydney,” Hammond told delegates.
The first panel of the day focused on Sydney and the broader state’s tourism outlook, with Rodney Harrex, Chief Executive Officer, 1834 hotels leading the group discussion on key inbound markets, tourism and aviation expectations.
Panelists included Andrew McEvoy, Chairman, Luxury Escapes Matt Talbot, General Manager, Swissotel Sydney, Nick Wright, Norman Arundel and Véronique Domin-Reid, Head of Commercial, Australasia & Pacific, IHG Hotels and Resorts.
The panelists emphasised the importance of events to boost visitation and stays, which according to the latest Destination New South Wales report reveals a contracted 34 events this year, amounting to a value of $275 million for the state.
“Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments internationally. It contributes about 10% of travel expenditure, and the upside is significant,” Domin-Reid said.
“The one key to unlock though, is how we move from single events to creating broader destination events that encourage visitors to extend their stay to experience different things whilst they’re here, and also to bring out their family and friends,” she added.
The panel also highlighted the need for better aviation services, with a target of 8.5 million additional seats by 2035.
“There’s a plan to 2035 for this industry to be worth $91 billion for the state,” Andrew McEvoy stated, adding the new airport without any curfew should be able to host over 10 million seats a year.
When choosing a market to target, consensus among some were to focus on the growing Indian market, which saw a 119% increase in arrivals last year.
The panel concluded with a positive outlook, citing resilience and looked to the potential the new Western Sydney International Airport would bring.
Moving on to the next panel where the focus shifted from arrivals to the latest in interior design and architecture trends. The panel, hosted by Juliet Ashworth, Creative Director and Owner of CHADA featured Angela Biddle, Principal of FK, Audrey De Filippis, Associate Director, Hotel and Hospitality, Athenablue, Chris Grinham, Director, H&E Architects, Julie Ockerby, Director, Client Relationships and Design Strategy, WMK Architecture and Mike Watson, Head of Design at DEZIGN.
The discussion focused on the challenges of hotel design in Sydney, particularly around high costs in land and development, and to ensure projects were undertaken with awareness of any budget constraints early in the design process.
“You just have to understand right at the start of a project with a client is to get the alignment round on the budget early,” Mike Watson advised.
“The people in the room that are representing owners, or are owners, the first thing they talk about when they bought a building is the cost, and I think as designers, you need to be aware of that really early and understand they want an ROI on this, and you’ve got to work with that and get your design through that process,” he said.
Other topics brought up during the discussion was the need to balance sustainability with cost, and stressing the long-term asset value of sustainable decisions, as well as the rise of adaptive re-use projects.
“It isn’t the magic wand that will be the cost savings … but why you would explore adaptive reuse or refurbishment as opposed to new build is to effectively move the needle from a repositioning perspective quite dramatically without triggering a DA,” Angela Biddle explained.
The following panel discussed new developments and hot projects that were coming to Sydney and NSW. Leading executives in the discussion included Brett Forer, Chief Development Officer – Asia Pacific, EVT, Craig Hooley, Chief Operating Officer, Minor Hotels, John Sutcliffe, Director of Development, TFE Hotels, Raphael Antonini, Chief Development Officer, Salter Brothers Hospitality and Tushar Raniga, Regional Director, Development – Australasia, Hilton, with panel host, Rodger Powell, Managing Director, THSA – Hotel Advisors.
Encouraged by Powell, the panel revealed a number of exciting developments from each brand, with Minor’s Craig Hooley announcing a second Anantara is on the cards for Australia, while a new global Oaks brand is in the works.
TFE’s John Sutcliffee highlighted its $100 million refurbishment of Adina hotels, and new openings in Brisbane and Hobart.
Brett Forer from EVT mentioned potential franchising opportunities and ongoing projects in Queenstown and the Gold Coast. SBH just unveiled renovations at Milton Park and Lillianfels, while Hilton discussed the launch of motto by Hilton in Sydney.
“I think Australia, like in all markets, has unique qualities, but what we believe is that there is definitely opportunity for quality products, the right product, in many strategic locations around Australia,” Hooley told delegates.
Moving toward a different outlook, the Sydney Hoteliers Outlook put expectations for 2026 and beyond in Sydney and New South Wales under the spotlight. The panel was hosted by Jennifer Davey, Director, Horwath HTL, and included, Lachlan Hoswell, Managing Director, Business Unit Australasia, Radisson Hotel Group, Nathan Cox, Vice President – Operations, Accor, Scott Boyes Chief Executive Officer, Trilogy Hotels and Titus Rosier, General Manager, W Sydney.
This panel largely focussed on the performance and outlook of the Sydney market, with key metrics showing occupancy was at 83.7% with ADR at $332 up 11.5% over the previous year. And despite a recent dip, long-term growth was expected, with a forecast of 12% revPAR over the next five years.
“The most important number for all of us is EBITA, but the number for Sydney that is critical right now is ADR,” Scott Boyes said.
“For the first time in history in this town, the supply and demand metrics have been disrupted by the cost of construction. So the good days in Sydney are ahead of us, not behind us,” he added.
The conversation also touched on the importance of rate growth, particularly in luxury segments, and the need for better product development to justify higher rates.
The next panel discussed third-party growth, and brought together host Robert Williams, Head of Hotels & Hospitality Asia Pacific, Watson Farley & Williams and panelists: Grant Alchin, Chief Operating Officer, Trilogy Hotels, Matt Holmes, Vice President of Development, South East Asia & Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Ruwani Weerasinghe, Director of Asset Management & Acquisition, La Vie Hotels, Shaun Ormsby, Vice President of Growth, 1834 Hotels and Thomas John, Vice President Strategy and Development, Panache Hotel Group.
Key points in this discussion included the aggressive expansion plans in Sydney and regional NSW, and the evolution of the franchise model in the hospitality industry.
Highlighting that Wyndham was skewed to franchising, Williams asked Matt Holmes on his take on the model.
“Our systems are geared towards the franchise model, and they’ve been refined over thousands of hotels around the world to make sure that our owners get the best out of our systems and distribution platforms. We’re a big fan of the TPO model and we’re really excited to see the growth that’s happened within that model,” Holmes revealed.
The success of third-party operators, such as La Vie securing the first Westin on the Gold Coast under Marriott International was highlighted as big win for the group, with Ruwani Weerasinghe adding “it doesn’t just mean a lot just for us, it means a lot for the industry and for the evolution of third-party and independent operator in this scale”.
Following a short hydration break, the stage was set for a one-on-one Q&A with Former Wallaby and industry executive Cameron Shepherd and AHICE President, James Wilkinson.
Shepherd discussed his passion for the game and his role in promoting sport post-retirement. His take on leadership included the importance of consistent standards, and suggested that hotels could support the hospitality workforce by collaborating with sporting groups.
The hydration break earlier included some wonderful tastings from De Beaurepaire Wines, a nice segway to lead us into the Food and Beverage trends panel.
Hosted by the man behind the wines, CEO & Vigneron, De Beaurepaire Wines, William De Beaurepaire, the panel brought together leading influences across the culinary scene in Sydney and beyond including: Hamish Neale, Executive Chef, Hilton Sydney, James Wicks, owner/operator, Sunday Co, Kristy Bloomfield, Chief Executive Officer, The Ben Buckler, Liana Prouzos, Account Manager NSW/ACT, Dilmah Tea and Sam Tosland, F&B Manager, PARKROYAL Parramatta.
Panelists discussed how product knowledge, training and storytelling enhances guest experiences, but could also result in higher revenue.
Dilmah Tea’s Prouzos explained that understanding a product and where its form, the ethics behind it as well, could translate to a better guest experience.
“Instead of asking ‘would you like a tea’, a confident and trained person can actually say, ‘if you’re having this panna cotta for dessert tonight, this is a tea I would recommend to go with that, and all of a sudden the tea has become a part of that dining experience, not just an after thought,” she explained.
The discussion also included challenges and opportunities in certain markets, with price-conscious guests requiring a change of strategy when it comes to F&B offerings.
Hilton’s Hamish Neale also cited Glass Restaurant’s success with designing its venue to offer multiple meal opportunities, from breakfast to lunch to dinner offerings.
Technology was on the cards after a brief introduction to Encore’s offerings, and a panel discussion ensued on the latest trends on the market.
Panelists included Craig Dennington, Director of Sales – Australia / New Zealand / Pacific, Agilysys, David Thompson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, MyMA.AI, Eloise Rankin, Head of Sales and Customer Success, Hub OS, Michael Bongiovanni, Enterprise Sales Director, Cendyn, Shellia Chang, Sales Director, ANZ & Pacific, Infor, with Ted Horner, Managing Director, E Horner & Associates acting as host.
There isn’t, or shouldn’t be a panel discussing technology without it bringing up AI and highlighting its potential to create hyper-personalised guest experiences, automate tasks and enhance revenue management. Panelists agreed the potential was vast, with AI analysing guest behaviour at rapid pace to offer optimised pricing strategies.
“Choosing the technology vendor is not just about choosing the right product because it’s the right price. You are creating a business relationship, so you need to look at flexibility,” Sheila Chang explained.
The panel predicted AI intent and discovery as future trends, with the potential to also replace traditional concierges.
Taking to the stage next was Waldorf Astoria Sydney’s new General Manager, Marlene Poynder in a chat with James Wilkinson.
With an extensive background in luxury hospitality, Poynder has returned to Australia to take on the role of the soon-to-launch hotel in Sydney.
“The most exciting thing for me is to have that blank sheet of paper. I’m employee number one. And I’ve been here two and a half months, still employee number one,” Poynder revealed.
The group recently announced the hire of Chef Curtis Stone to oversee its culinary offerings, which Poynder believed was the right move for the property.
“He epitomises what we’re trying to do with the Waldorf Astoria Sydney, and be humble, genuine, be so Australian while still recognising the legend of what the Waldorf Astoria is and where it all began,” she revealed.
“And what he wants to do with the restaurant and bar is extraordinary in showcasing Australia.”
The final discussion for the day focused on Sydney investment and a property outlook, headed by Lucia Grambalova, Chief Investment Officer, Head of Asset Management, Hotel Capital Partners, with panelists: Andrew Langsford, Executive Vice President, Hotels & Hospitality Group, JLL, Jip Van Driest, Founder, House of Places, Michael Simpson, Managing Director Capital Markets, Hotels, CBRE, and Nicholas Lower, Co-Head, Aus & NZ Hotels & Hospitality, Hotels, Savills Australia.
Discussions focussed on the current state of hotel investment in Sydney and Australia, and despite strong sales last year and a return to pre-Covid levels, Grambalova argued sales in 2026 are lagging.
“There is a lot of capital to buy hotels, but they’re not really trading,” Grambalova shared.
Andrew Langsford from JLL highlighted that “deals are happening” and “there’s a bit of flow through from last year, but deals are taking longer.”
“Sellers are taking a bit of a softer approach rather than going on a full market campaign,” Langsford revealed.
The panel discussed factors contributing to the softening, citing interest rate uncertainty and oil spikes as some possible reasons.
Following the formal program, the event concluded with fantastic networking, entertainment, food and drinks, featuring award-winning wines from De Beaurepaire in Rylstone and Gold Logie Award winner Larry Emdur’s Ben Buckler whiskey, served both neat and in cocktails.