InterContinental Sydney Double Bay | Hotel & Branded Residences

Sydney, 2021–2022

Following a $178m acquisition in 2021, the new owners of the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay engaged me to help reposition the property and lay the strategic foundations for its redevelopment as a luxury branded residence — the first of its kind in Australia and the client's most ambitious project to date.

The 140-room harbour-side hotel, designed by Bates Smart and managed by IHG, sits in Sydney's prestigious Double Bay. My role was to develop and join up the full strategic framework for the project — positioning strategy, brand partner engagement with leading international luxury brands, architectural and design concepts, community engagement, PR strategy, and the sales and VIP approach for the residential launch ahead.

A comprehensive customer experience audit identified immediate opportunities to elevate the property while the longer-term development strategy took shape. The activation of the hotel's food and beverage spaces — which resulted in The Bar, a partnership with Maurice Terzini — was part of a deliberate strategy to build the profile and positioning the development would need to attract a world-class brand partner and a premium residential audience.

Positioning strategy · Branded residences