New hotel at station opened

QUEST Apartment Hotels opened their new Ballarat Station location on Monday morning, with seventy-seven rooms set to welcome visitors.

The accommodation, and the ongoing surrounding Station precinct is a partnership with developer, Pellicano and the State Government, who put in $28.3 from the Regional Infrastructure Fund.

Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison said this project will “redefine Ballarat.”

“Instead of the old gravel carpark and a neglected rat and pigeon-infested goods shed, when we get off at the Ballarat train station, we’ll have this stunning hotel, a beautiful public plaza and the restoration of our goods sheds which will be an asset for decades to come,” she said.

“The vibrant, connected and accessible commercial and community hub…will inject over $51 million into our local economy and is expected to create 140 jobs.”

City of Ballarat mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney said Quest Ballarat Station is a “magnificent” result on a “difficult site.”

“It’s what our city is all about, and from a council perspective, we’re keen to turn some of these underutilised parcels of land in our central area into incredible buildings that employ and engage people,” he said.

“This area was a bit of a bombsite initially, and a really underutilised part of our city’s central area. Now, it creates a gateway to our city.”

Quest Apartment Hotels general manager of growth and capital strategy James Shields said his business “believes in the regions.”

“They’re one of our biggest growth areas nationally,” he said.

“We cater to the extended-stay corporate traveller…leisure travel; Friday to Sunday night trade, and optimised our apartment mix for families visiting and spending money in Ballarat.”

Pellicano managing director, Nando Pellicano said the precinct will be “world-class.”

“This is the seventh Quest Hotel we’ve done together…and it’s the best one we’ve done to date,” he said.

“When the main course comes next year…it’s something we’ll be very proud of.”