IHG Hotels & Resorts is expanding its partnership with Urban Property Group with two new hotel signings in New South Wales: Crowne Plaza Newcastle and Hotel Indigo Gosford.
Together, the properties will add 323 rooms to IHG’s Australian development pipeline and form part of major mixed-use developments in Newcastle and Gosford.
The agreement builds on Crowne Plaza Parramatta, signed by IHG and Urban Property Group in 2025, taking their partnership to three planned hotels across New South Wales.
Crowne Plaza Newcastle is scheduled to open in late 2029, while Hotel Indigo Gosford is targeting a mid-2030 opening.
Crowne Plaza returning to Newcastle with 171-room hotel
The 171-room Crowne Plaza Newcastle will form part of a 43-storey mixed-use development adjacent to Newcastle Interchange.
Alongside the hotel, the development will include 219 residential apartments and landscaped public areas.
The Crowne Plaza will feature an all-day dining restaurant, lobby bar and swimming pool, as well as more than 550 square metres of meetings and events space.
This will include a 425-square-metre ballroom, positioning the property to serve Newcastle’s growing corporate and events market as well as leisure travellers.
The opening will also mark the return of the Crowne Plaza brand to Newcastle.
IHG sees the city and the wider Hunter region as an important regional growth market, supported by infrastructure investment, population growth and an expanding visitor economy.
Hotel Indigo to make Central Coast debut in Gosford
Further south, IHG will introduce its Hotel Indigo lifestyle brand to the Central Coast for the first time.
Hotel Indigo Gosford will have 152 rooms and form part of Urban Property Group’s The Waterfront precinct.
Scheduled to open in mid-2030, the hotel will overlook Brisbane Water and include a neighbourhood café and bar, rooftop swimming pool and premium wellness facilities.
As with other Hotel Indigo properties, the design and guest experience will draw heavily on the character and history of the surrounding neighbourhood.
The project comes as Gosford continues to attract investment in its CBD and waterfront, strengthening its role as a commercial, residential and tourism centre for the Central Coast.
IHG and Urban Property Group expand partnership
The two signings follow the companies’ agreement for Crowne Plaza Parramatta last year and broaden the partnership beyond metropolitan Sydney into regional New South Wales.
“IHG has now signed three exciting new projects with Urban Property Group over the last 12 months, illustrating our shared strategic vision for the sector and the growing strength in our partnership,” said Matt Tripolone, Managing Director, Australasia & Pacific at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Tripolone said regional expansion remains an important part of IHG’s Australian strategy, particularly in destinations benefiting from investment in infrastructure, tourism and major development.
Urban Property Group is increasingly incorporating hospitality into its residential, retail and commercial developments.
“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,” said Patrick Elias, Co-CEO of Urban Property Group.
The latest agreements give IHG two significant additions to its regional NSW pipeline, with Crowne Plaza targeting the premium business and meetings market in Newcastle while Hotel Indigo brings a lifestyle-focused offering to Gosford and the Central Coast.
