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LEADING McLaren Vale winery Wirra Wirra has unveiled a hotel development partnership that breaks new ground for wineries in South Australia. Wirra Wirra will pair with developers Greaton on a project to build the first five-star accommodation of its scale in the McLaren Vale wine region and the first integrated winery resort of its type in South Australia. “Our wine regions are a tourism hotspot and Wirra Wirra is one of South Australia’s exceptional tourism assets – naturally we predict interest in the hotel will be strong,” Tourism, Trade and Investment Minister David Ridgway said. “We’re certainly seeing that visitor numbers are increasing and our focus remains on continuing this growth attracting high-yield experience seekers. High-yield visitors expect premium accommodation options and McLaren Vale’s first five-star hotel will help meet this demand.”
Wirra Wirra managing director Andrew Kay said the partnership would provide a massive boost to wine tourism in the region. “McLaren Vale has been crying out for five-star accommodation of this scale for years,” Kay said. “The development will provide a base for visitors to not only enjoy the world class wine the region has to offer, but also the magnificent beaches, food and diverse nature experiences that can be found right across the greater Fleurieu Peninsula. A mutual understanding of the importance of integrating the development with the winery was at the cornerstone of the partnership,” said Kay. “We spoke to a number of interested parties, but the team at Greaton understood our vision and the importance of capturing the spirit of history and authenticity that surrounds Wirra Wirra. We’re all very eager to see the project take flight.”
Wirra Wirra is an iconic McLaren Vale winery with a history dating back to 1894. It is the home of the famous red wine blend Church Block and exports to 24 countries.
Greaton entered the Australian market in 2011. The company is a leading diversified property business covering residential apartments and townhouses, retail, serviced apartments and luxury hotels across Sydney and Adelaide. The parcel of land to be developed is 1.56 hectares and sits adjacent to the Wirra Wirra winery on the western side. The hotel concept will be built around a theme of health and wellness, targeting the international and domestic leisure market with an operator/manager to be announced.
Designs are expected to be finalised in the new year, with construction work to start later in 2019 and an opening estimated for early in 2022.