Crystalbrook Collection

Tourism and hospitality group, Crystalbrook Collection, is set to transform the Cairns skyline with a $500 million investment in three new international hotels.

The company is the Australian business of the Dubai-based Ghassan Aboud Group (GAG) – headed by billionaire businessman and philanthropist Ghassan Aboud. Its new properties will deliver more than 800 new hotel rooms to Cairns by 2020, creating 3,500 jobs and injecting more than $900 million into the local economy.

Once operational, the hotels will join Crystalbrook Collection’s impressive portfolio of North Queensland tourism entities:

• Crystalbrook Lodge, Chillagoe (a luxury lodge stay experience about three hours from Cairns)
• Crystalbrook M.V Bahama, Port Douglas (a 28-metre luxury charter yacht)
• Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, Port Douglas
• A flagship luxury hotel and residences located on the waterfront of Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina

Crystalbrook Collection also has investments in the Queensland pastoral industry. In 2016, it bought the 35,000-hectare working cattle station ‘Crystalbrook’. It was Mr Aboud’s first property purchase here and inspired the name of his Australian business.

To date, Crystalbrook Collection has committed more than AU$700 million to tourism investments in Australia. This is expected to grow to more than $1 billion over the next three years.

“We undertook a lot of research before choosing Australia as an investment destination,” says Mr Aboud. 

The appeal of North Queensland

When asked why he chose North Queensland to launch the Crystalbrook Collection brand, Mr Aboud’s immediate response was: “why not?”

“You need to create demand, not wait for it to happen,” he says. “Cairns is a great city and on the doorstep of one of the great wonders of the world. In the next five years, you will see it transformed. There have been no new five-star international hotels in Cairns for over 20 years. The city needs quality hotels and we are responding to the anticipated growth in tourism in the region.”

CBRE reported that a strong last quarter helped Cairns take out the top spot as the nation’s best performing hotel market for the fourth year in a row. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth was an impressive 9.5 per cent for the year ending December 2017.

Another reason for choosing North Queensland, Mr Aboud says, was the “overwhelming support” he received from councils, government and the tourism bodies.

“I have always felt very welcome here,” says Mr Aboud, who was named the region’s ‘Most Influential Person’ by the Cairns Post newspaper in 2017. “It is a great place to do business."

And while some businessmen will do anything to avoid competition, Mr Aboud encourages it.

“One big player is likely to attract other big players,” he says.

“And that will make the future for North Queensland very bright. We want this market to grow. It will benefit everyone.” 

Crystalbrook Collection Cairns hotels:

Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort

137 Esplanade, Cairns

• Opening November 2018
• Five-star resort hotel featuring 311 suites and rooms
• Four restaurants and bars including the rooftop tower bar (42 metres above sea level)
• Lagoon pool (1,037 square metres) with private beach
• Day spa and 24-hour fitness centre
• Meeting spaces for up to 400 people

Bailey, a Crystalbrook Collection Hotel

163 Abbott Street, Cairns

• Opening mid 2019
• Five-star hotel featuring 222 rooms
• Five restaurants and bars including a signature Crystalbrook Station Steakhouse and Parilla Grill
• 24-hour fitness centre
• Meeting spaces for up to 150 people 

Flynn, a Crystalbrook Collection Hotel

85 Esplanade, Cairns

• Opening early 2020
• Five-star hotel featuring 311 suites and rooms
• Six restaurants and bars over three floors
• Two glass swimming pools
• Day spa and 24-hour fitness centre
• Meeting spaces for up to 120 people