Wyndham Hotel Group continues to expand its presence in Australia with the signing of a franchise agreement for the 110-room Ramada® Kooralbyn Resort, located in the Gold Coast hinterland of Queensland, Australia.
 
Formerly Kooralbyn Resort, the property is owned by Peter Huang of Yong Real Estate and JHC Holdings. It is scheduled to open late this year following an extensive refurbishment of up to AUD $10 million.
 
The franchise agreement plays an important part in Wyndham Hotel Group's strategy to grow the Ramada brand throughout the South Pacific and around the globe. Recently, the Hotel Group announced the addition of Ramada Resort Shoal Bay in New South Wales to its portfolio, as well as plans to open Fiji's first Ramada resort in Nadi Bay. Since 2013, the Ramada brand has added properties in key markets throughout Turkey, Singapore, China and Brazil and announced an agreement for its first property in Kenya.
 
Barry Robinson, managing director of Wyndham Hotel Group in the South Pacific, said, "We are committed to growing the Ramada brand throughout key markets in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands. Partnering with established developers and hotel owners throughout the region provides the opportunity to expand our portfolio of premier hotels and resorts in leading holiday destinations, like Queensland."
 
Ramada Kooralbyn Resort is one of the few resorts in Australia with integrated resort status (ITR).  Integrated Resort Developments are high-quality; mixed-use destinations aimed at providing tourism, leisure and entertainment facilities that appeal to a broad demographic, including the international market. For resorts designated as Integrated Tourism Resorts before September 1999, like Ramada Kooralbyn Resort, foreign purchasers do not need foreign government approval to buy residential property that is within the bounds of the resort. 
 
Ramada Kooralbyn Resort is located in the Scenic Rim near Beaudesert, approximately 80 kilometres from the Gold Coast in South-East Queensland. The resort, which sits on 333 hectares and was a popular holiday destination in the 1980s, offering guests the use of its 18-hole championship golf course, private airport, and polo and equestrian fields.
 
Once open, Ramada Kooralbyn Resort will offer guests and residents the chance to experience what is planned to be one of the finest health, wellness and lifestyle retreats in Australia with plans to include activities and amenities aimed at fostering health and wellness, such as a day spa, natural hot spring baths, mineral mud bath treatments, flotation baths and massage therapy.
 
Facilities include full conference, wedding and meeting facilities, two outdoor pools, a kids' club, car parking, resort store, 18-hole championship golf course, 12 tennis courts, gym, sauna, plus restaurants and bars.
 
The resort will also offer guests the opportunity to experience recreational activities including skydiving, hot air ballooning, gliding, recreational and sightseeing flights, cricket, baseball, soccer, yoga, polo and equestrian events.
 
To complete the experience for local and International guests, the Ramada Kooralbyn Resort is in the process of establishing a small wildlife sanctuary with koala, crocodile, reptile and kangaroo enclosures and plans to offer educational demonstrations, photograph and feeding opportunities.
 
 "We are proud to partner with Wyndham Hotel Group and the globally respected Ramada brand on this exciting development, which will help restore the resort to its former glory and will offer guests and residents the chance to experience what will be one of the finest tourist, leisure, health and wellness and activity destinations in the South Pacific," said owner, Peter Huang.