Hilton Surfers Paradise is the first leisure-focused hotel and residences development by Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Australia.

It is also the first international five-star equivalent hotel to be built on the Gold Coast since 2000.

Newly appointed General Manager, David Kelly, brings with him more than 20 years experience in the hospitality industry.

At least 15 of those years have been spent with Hilton Worldwide, both in Australia and internationally.

Kelly was most recently the General Manager at Hilton Cairns, where he undertook major refurbishment projects and successfully restructured the business.

Prior to this he was Director of Business Development for Hilton Sydney during the hotel’s refurbishment and subsequent re-launch.

He also spent four years with Hilton in New York.

Kelly says it is a great honor to be appointed as General Manager of the newest and most eagerly-awaited upper upscale hotel to be built on the Gold Coast in years.

“Hilton Surfers Paradise is set to deliver a new standard of contemporary holiday accommodation on the Gold Coast,” he says.

“The development of a hotel and residence concept caters for customers need for additional space and more flexible accommodation options, without sacrificing upscale service and five star facilities.

Hilton Surfers Paradise will be the first hotel and residences offering by the leading accomodation chain in Australia, with 250 one, two and three-bedroom apartments available for holiday-makers.

It consists of two towers, with Boulevard Tower opening its doors to both residents and guests in December and Orchid Tower, consisting of additional residences and a dedicated Hilton Hotel, scheduled to open in mid-2011.

The proposal announced today will fast-track the company’s Gold Coast investment plans with work set to start on a new-look Jupiters by the middle of next year.

The plan will create six new restaurants, two new bars, an `international night life venue’ and a new private room for high rollers.

Refurbishments also are planned for the resort pool and gym area and the creation of a `beach club’ and new spa facilities.

“The investments at Jupiters on the Gold Coast will significantly improve the customer offer and competitiveness of the property and improve the overall attractiveness of the Gold Coast region,” said Tabcorp chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper.

“It will turn Jupiters into a world-class resort destination in one of the most attractive regions in Australia.”

The Melbourne-based Tabcorp, which also owns Star City in Sydney, today announced plans to split its operations in two, creating a separate casino company and a gaming and wagering company, subject to shareholder approval.

The company said it was still in discussions with the State Government over previously flagged plans to expand its Gold Coast, Brisbane and Townsville casinos, including construction of new hotels at Jupiters and Treasury.

This is the lowest the number has been since about 2004.

The fall is essentially due to a reduction in the number of apartments actually being built on the Gold Coast – with development approvals having gone down continually in recent years and the market remaining reasonably flat.

Graeme Juniper, whose Juniper Group is developing the 77-level tower overlooking the beach, said he was selling down the group’s Sunshine Coast assets and looking for opportunities on the Gold Coast.

“Our experience with developing and working with the Gold Coast City Council has been good, so we are looking for more opportunities on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“Our experience is that they’ve been most co-operative.

“We have all worked together to get the right outcome.”

The group has put the remainder of its prime retail complexes in Zanzibar at Mooloolaba up for sale.

It has also sold out its $60 million Coconut Grove project in Port Douglas.

Mr Juniper said the group would look for a range of developments on the Coast.

“We’ve done everything from small unit developments to multi-level towers,” he said. He declined to reveal what his company’s next Gold Coast project would be.

“That takes all the surprise out of it,” he said.

“Every week we are evaluating sites as part of an ongoing program.

“We’ve been doing it for years.

“We wait until something sticks its head up and we, as an organisation, feel it’s something we can do justice to.”

Established in 1992 the Juniper Group has compiled a $1 billion mixed-use property portfolio.

Construction on the group’s 245m Soul tower began in 2007 and will be completed next year.

Over its opening weekend of operation, an estimated 4000 people rode the wheel, which sits above the transit centre in Surfers Paradise and offers views of the ocean, Coolangatta, Mt Warning and the hinterland.

Owner Ken Jackson was deilghted with the number of people who had enjoyed the new attraction, and said he planned to open a rooftop cafe, mini-golf and reptile park at the site before Christmas.

”Everyone came off smiling, so it makes you feel good,” said Mr Jackson.

The wheel operates daily from 10am to late.

The tower, proposed by Mermaid Beach developer the Potter Group, would be the largest building in Broadbeach.

It would replace a strip of neighbourhood shops on Main Place, parallel to the Gold Coast Highway, opposite the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Signage has been placed at the site inviting community comment, because the proposal exceeds the requirements of the local area plan.

Potter Group consultant Brent Hailey said he hoped the high rise would be the first transit-oriented development on the Gold Coast.

“The site is positioned perfectly, next to the proposed rapid transit, in the heart of Broadbeach,” he said.

“A large information board has been erected outside the site and we welcome community input.

“We will work closely with the council and the community to overcome concerns.”

But locals want the proposed tower’s height lowered, insisting that 52 storeys would be wrong for the suburb.

Neighbouring business owner Stephen Lindeblad said that Main Place traders would oppose the development.

“Main Place has a village feel that needs to be protected. A 52-storey development does not fit the character of the area,” he said.

“This development takes half the neighbourhood shopping strip away and leaves 20 shops behind. How will we survive?

“Traders have formed an informal group and we will fight against the Potter Group’s plans.”

Meanwhile solicitor Col Myers, who represents the Phoenician Resort’s body corporate, said his client also would fight the application due to its height.

Area councillor Eddy Sarroff said that he wanted a better outcome for Broadbeach.

“This is a prime site in the centre of the Broadbeach precinct. It was always going to be developed,” he said.

“But I do think the proposed development is too intense for the area.

“I would like to see the developers working with council to reduce the height and density.”

MC Projects, the building arm of Vivid Progress, will launch Vivid development at Beach Parade today.

The four-storey development is on a 1012sq m site on the corner of Beach Parade and First Avenue opposite the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Vivid Progress, linked to Ju You, Kwang Lee and Myoung Park of Upper Coomera, paid $1.95 million for the two-title site in February last year.

Vivid has six two-bedroom units on the lower two floors, four three-bedroom units on the top two floors and a 23-car basement car park.

Units are priced between $550,000 and $1.1 million and are 112sq m to 220sq m.

Garry Green of the Garry Green Group said Vivid was the first unit development for MC Projects on the Gold Coast.

“They have built some luxury homes here but this is the first unit development,” he said.

He said a lift helped set the development apart from many other unit complexes in an area dominated by three-storey walk-ups and high-density buildings.

“We believe a lot of our sales will come from buyers within 1.5km of the complex,” he said.

“We think people will be attracted to the ground floor units which, when you take into account the external courtyard areas, are almost 200sq m in size.

“Conceptual drawings have been done for the top-floor units to have the option of utilising 25sq m of space on the roof.”

Mr Green said should the units sell well MC Projects would look for other opportunities in the area.

“They are testing the market with this one,” he said.

Since April purchasers have secured or placed deposits on 27 apartments including a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments worth an average $1.5 million.

Tim Willing, from Brookfield Multiplex, says buyers came from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and overseas including China, India, Singapore and Dubai.

“Two of our last four sales have been at the top end of apartments currently available, both three bedroom residences priced between $2 million and $3 million,” he said.

“Our first tower, Boulevard Tower, is already sold out with settlements expected in December 2010 and three-quarters of apartments have now sold in the second tower, Orchid Tower.”

Construction of the Boulevard Tower, which will feature 186 apartments, is on track for completion late this year, while Orchid Tower which will comprise 224 residences and a 169-room Hilton hotel, is expected to be completed in the second half of 2011.

Facilities available at the hotel include a luxury day spa, signature restaurant, executive lounge, gymnasium and swimming pool and a retail precinct at street level.

Hilton Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) – construction update…

Construction has topped out on the roof of the Boulevard tower of the Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel and Residences on the Gold Coast – reaching 32 levels and 186 residences.

At the same time, work is moving forward on the second and tallest tower, Orchid Tower, which is currently at level 14 and due for completion in late 2011.

It will feature 57 levels and include luxury residential apartments and a Hilton Hotel.

The basement car park excavation has reached the B5 level, which is the lowest basement in the total of 6 levels.

With only 37 opportunities remaining within the development, this is the final opportunity to secure a private Hilton residence. Click here for more details on Hilton Surfers Paradise.