The opening of four new hotels in Adelaide is an exciting development for ICHM graduates and students, with more than 20 employed across the luxury brands. 

Oval Hotel, which opened late September 2020, is the first stadium in Australia to feature an integrated hotel.

Built on two elevated pods that follow the external curves of the eastern façade of the Adelaide Oval Stadium, the property forms an interesting part of the city’s growing hotel landscape. Spectacular views include St Peters Cathedral, the Adelaide Parklands and city skyline, and guests can make the two-hour climb across Adelaide Oval’s roofline, taking in views of the Adelaide Hills and the coast.

ICHM graduate Bodelle Francis is Oval Hotel’s General Manager, moving from ibis for the pre-opening. Seven graduates and students are employed at the property - in Food & Beverage, Housekeeping and Front Office.

Crowne Plaza® is a five-star brand of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and opened on the 1 November 2020. The new hotel marks a quick return of the Crowne Plaza brand to Adelaide, after the previous hotel of the same name was rebranded Pullman Adelaide in 2017.

ICHM graduate Laura Ganter is the Human Resources & Business Support Administrator for the property, and another seven ICHM graduates and students are now employed in Front Office and Housekeeping.

An interesting feature of the new Crowne Plaza is that the hotel lobby is located on the 10th floor, with the levels underneath occupied by ground-floor retail along with 83 residential apartments.

EOS by SkyCity, a five-star hotel connected to the historic railway/underground station in Adelaide’s Central Business District, opens in early December. Both EOS by Skycity and SkyCity are leading the charge in ICHM graduate and student employment, with graduate Michael Neal as Food & Beverage Manager and Meg Anderson as Front Office Supervisor. There are another 12 graduates and students on their books - in Front Office, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping and Gaming.

To open in 2021, Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets is in the midst of Adelaide’s produce hub, a cultural and culinary melting pot. This is the first Indigo property to be built in Australia. Graduate Holly Madsen has won the position as Hotel Services Assistant Manager.

There is a plethora of restaurants and bars across all the properties; the majority showcasing the best that South Australia has to offer - in food, wine and service. Hotel Indigo, for example, features a modern Australian restaurant and bar on the ground floor and a rooftop bar focusing on local beers and cocktails and South Australian wines.

‘We’re particularly excited by these local employment opportunities for our graduates and students, as they offer a wealth of hospitality experiences for graduates just starting to make their way in the profession and our students looking for workplace learning to complement their on-campus studies’, says Annabelle Roelink, Manager, Industry and Career Development.  

’The opening of the Oval Hotel, Crowne Plaza, EOS by SkyCity and Hotel Indigo showcases that Adelaide is a leading travel destination for both business and leisure guests, and our graduates and students are embracing the opportunities to be a part of this amazing hotel growth across the city’, says Emily Hosking, also Manager, Industry and Career Development.

Sofitel and Westin Resorts & Hotels are two other five-star properties set to open in 2021 and 2022 and Hyatt Regency is expected to open in 2023.