A Hilton Garden Inn is heading to Ipswich’s city centre, delivering a new 160-room hotel that introduces modern comfort, bright spaces, and the brand’s signature hospitality ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said Ipswich City Council has signed a development agreement for the construction of the Hilton Garden Inn on vacant council-owned land on Ellenborough Street, next to the multiple award-winning Nicholas Street Precinct.
Ipswich Hotel Group Pty Ltd will invest $53 million, with 150 construction workers set to start in late 2026 with an expected a completion date of late 2028.
“With seven storeys and 160 rooms, the Hilton Garden Inn Ipswich will take our reputation as a must-visit destination for great experiences to the next level. This hotel is a game-changer for the city,” Harding said.
“This $53 million investment will bring a further 50 permanent jobs on completion. Those permanent jobs will bring $2.7 million into the city’s economy each year, based on productivity data from Economy.id.
“The accommodation and food services sector is worth $337 million to the city – and today’s announcement will boost that significantly, with permanent jobs, and business opportunities for industry suppliers.”
The announcement followed the implementation of Ipswich council’s Hotel and Short-Term Accommodation Action Plan, initiated by Mayor Harding to address the lack of hotel accommodation across the city in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Games.
“A recent audit identified 515 short-term accommodation rooms in Ipswich – about 310 less than will be required for the Games and beyond. This signing more than halves that gap,” Harding added. “This will supercharge Ipswich’s tourism sector.”
Hilton area vice president and head of Australasia Paul Hutton said there are 1,100 Hilton Garden Inn hotels trading globally with a pipeline of over 450 worldwide.
“The brand continues to build strong momentum across Australasia – spanning major hubs like Brisbane as well as regional and provincial centres including Busselton, Albany, and Darwin,” he said. A Hilton Garden Inn will also open in Suva later this year.
“We’re proud to partner on a hotel that supports Ipswich’s continued transformation, offering business and leisure travellers a welcoming and convenient base in one of Queensland’s fastest-growing cities,” he said.
Hilton director development Australasia Tushar Raniga said will add to one of Southeast Queensland’s most dynamic cities.
“The Hilton Garden Inn Ipswich is designed to deliver high-quality, efficient accommodation that strengthens local room supply, supports tourism and business travel, and creates lasting benefits for growing communities,” Raniga said.
“We commend council for their proactive approach to addressing the current and growing need for more accommodation through their Hotel and Short-term Accommodation Plan,” Ipswich Hotel Group Pty Ltd Rupert Yang director Rupert Yang said.
“We value the opportunity to work with the council as the landlord of the site on which the hotel will be built, and we feel privileged to be delivering an important piece of infrastructure for the city.
“We are also thrilled to be again partnering with Hilton to deliver the Hilton Garden Inn Ipswich. This will be a sister property to our Hilton Garden Inn Brisbane City Centre North and is a clear demonstration of the mutual trust and confidence that Ipswich Hotel Group and the Hilton management team have in each other.”
Ipswich’s local tourism industry attracts two million visitors and brings $460 million into the local economy per year to events such as CMC Rocks Festival, Winternationals, Ipswich Cup and Ipswich Show and the Supercars at Queensland Raceway.
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