IHG’s Crowne Plaza Brand Closes Out 2024 With 2 Openings in Australia

Crowne Plaza, part of the IHG portfolio of brands, is ending 2024 strong by celebrating the opening of 2 new properties in Australia.

IHG says these openings in Adelaide and Sydney are the first of 5 Crowne Plaza properties slated to open across the country over the next year.

Here’s what you need to know.

New Crowne Plaza Hotels Open in Adelaide and Sydney

Starting in the state of South Australia, the Crowne Plaza Adelaide Mawson Lakes is now open in the city’s northern suburbs. The 155-room hotel is located about 20 minutes from Adelaide’s city center and provides easy access to the attractions of the city, the Barossa Valley, and more.

Guests can expect designs inspired by the South Australian landscape and features amenable to both business and leisure travelers. The hotel will offer a mix of king and twin rooms, including some with kitchenettes.

There are 2 on-site outlets for eating and drinking. The full-service restaurant Ember & Vine focuses on bold flavors and locally sourced ingredients prepared by stone cooking. Meanwhile, the Aviator Bar (which surely piques our interest as AvGeeks!) offers views of the Adelaide Hills and Parafield Airport (PAL) through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. It serves barista-prepared coffees as well as a range of beers, wines, and spirits.

The other new property — the Crowne Plaza Sydney Airport — opened earlier this month as Australia’s first Crowne Plaza-branded airport hotel. This property is not a new build. However, it has been undergoing a phased renovation that will completely modernize it and provide an experience that travelers expect in 2025.

The property’s guest rooms underwent a total revamp in 2022 — to the tune of AUD$15 million (roughly $9.3 million). As part of the transition to the Crowne Plaza brand, the hotel unveiled an all-new “ground floor reception area” (don’t call it a lobby!) that features open-style reception pods, a feature wall, and more.

The hotel’s dining outlets are currently being revamped and will open in the next few months. However, guests staying now will have access to room service around the clock. Elsewhere, they can expect a fitness center, a sauna, and 6 spaces for meetings and events.

Crowne Plaza will open 3 more properties across Australia throughout the next year. In January, we’ll see the Crowne Plaza Macquarie Park in suburban Sydney. This property will be followed by the opening of the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton and then the Crowne Plaza Shell Cove Marina, which doesn’t have an online presence yet.

How To Book IHG Hotels With Points

If you’re traveling Down Under and would like to book these properties (or any of IHG’s hotels) with IHG One Rewards points, rest assured that it’s easy to earn the IHG One Rewards points needed to book free stays.

IHG offers 3 co-branded credit cards from Chase, through which you can earn a sizable welcome bonus plus points from your daily purchases. Additionally, you can transfer Bilt Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards points to IHG at a 1:1 ratio.

Final Thoughts

Crowne Plaza is expanding in Australia, with 2 properties opening before the end of this year and 3 more opening throughout 2025. This adds to the momentum the brand has throughout the Asia-Pacific region, where it has over 90 properties in the pipeline.