A new 171-room Crowne Plaza is coming to Newcastle

Newcastle’s hotel scene is set for another major addition, with Crowne Plaza confirmed to return to the city as part of a new 43-storey development in Wickham.

IHG Hotels & Resorts and Urban Property Group announced the plans this week, with Crowne Plaza Newcastle expected to open in late 2029 as part of Urban’s mixed-use development adjacent to Newcastle Interchange.

The new hotel will feature 171 rooms and sit alongside 219 residential apartments, adding another significant development to the rapidly changing Newcastle West and Wickham precinct.

But it won’t be purely about somewhere to spend the night.

Plans for Crowne Plaza Newcastle include all-day dining, a lobby bar, swimming pool and landscaped public spaces, alongside more than 550sqm dedicated to meetings and events. A 425sqm ballroom will form part of the events offering, giving Newcastle another large-scale option for conferences, functions and celebrations.

For IHG Hotels & Resorts, the announcement also marks the return of the Crowne Plaza brand to Newcastle.

IHG Managing Director Australasia & Pacific Matt Tripolone said Newcastle’s continued investment and growth made it an important regional market for the hotel group.

“Newcastle and the Central Coast are both significant visitor and economic centres, and we see strong long-term potential for high-quality internationally branded hotels in these locations.”

The Newcastle hotel is one of two new projects announced by IHG and Urban Property Group, alongside Hotel Indigo Gosford, which is expected to open in mid-2030. The two projects build on the companies’ existing partnership for Crowne Plaza Parramatta, signed in 2025.

Urban Property Group Co-CEO Patrick Elias said hospitality had become a natural extension of the developer’s residential, retail and commercial projects.

“By integrating internationally recognised hotel brands into our major precincts, we are creating places that people can live, work, stay and connect, while supporting the long-term growth of these regions.”

For Newcastle, the announcement is another piece in the continued transformation of the city’s western end.

With Newcastle Interchange on its doorstep and new residential, hospitality and commercial projects continuing to reshape the surrounding streets, Crowne Plaza Newcastle will bring accommodation, dining and event spaces into the one development when it opens in late 2029.