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Fraser Island‘s iconic Kingfisher Bay Resort is set to join leading hotel management group, Accor. From the 15th of April, the hotel component of the popular Queensland resort will be known as the Mercure Kingfisher Bay Resort Fraser Island.
The hotel component of Kingfisher Bay Resort which will be rebranded to Mercure offers 152 hotel rooms, with large private decks offering either wallum or lake views with spacious bathrooms, some with spas
Mercure Kingfisher Bay Resort guests have access to a broad range of onsite facilities which include four swimming pools, tennis courts, water sports and a Beauty Salon. The resort also offers three restaurants, two lounge bars, a cafe and a late bar. Five meeting rooms are available for business events and conferencing.
Other features of Kingfisher Bay Resort which remain independent of the Mercure branding include more than 100 self-contained two and three bedroom villas, 7 KBR holiday houses and a 174-bed Wilderness Lodge for groups as well as Fraser Island touring and marine businesses.
Nestled in the bush overlooking the calm waters of the Great Sandy Strait, Kingfisher Bay Resort has been designed to give guests an enjoyable nature-based experience on World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, while causing minimal impact to the environment.
The resort offers the perfect base to explore the world’s largest sand island – famous for its ancient rainforests, spectacular fresh-water lakes, remarkable wildlife and stunning Seventy Five-Mile Beach.
Kingfisher Bay’s interpretive expert rangers take guests to explore Fraser Island’s significant natural and geological features and Aboriginal and European histories whilst the resort’s grounds provide the basis of Ranger-guided walks.
Fraser Island is easily accessible by air, a short 45 minute flight from Brisbane, with QantasLink. Virgin Blue also flies daily from Sydney with connections from other major centres. The gateway township of Hervey Bay is a scenic three-and-a-half hour drive north of Brisbane and easily accessed by road, coach and train services. The resort operates a vehicular ferry service from Hervey Bay which takes 45mins from River Heads to the hotel.
Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Managing Director, Gary Smith, said the Tourism Industry – and Queensland operators in particular – had faced some tough challenges over the past few years and would continue to do so in coming months.
“It has become increasingly difficult for stand-alone properties to cut through in the international and domestic leisure markets,” he said.
“The decision, to partner with Accor under a Franchise agreement, will allow Kingfisher Bay Resort access to Accor’s global brand reach and global purchasing power and will give us more visibility in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”
“This is an exciting time in Kingfisher Bay’s history and we look forward to joining the Accor family.”
Accor’s General Manager Franchise Hotels, Dino Mezzatesta, says, “Fraser Island is undeniably one of Australia’s most recognised and aspirational destinations both domestically and internationally.
“We are extremely happy to welcome the iconic Kingfisher Bay Resort property to our worldwide family of hotels and hope that the benefits the Accor network represent, and fresh Mercure branding, will provide a new platform for the hotel to build on its already amazing reputation and business success.”
Mercure is the largest mid-market hotel brand in Australia, with 28 hotels in key locations across the country and more than 670 hotels in 50 countries globally
The Mercure name will bring truly global branding to the Kingfisher Bay Resort hotel and will see the progressive introduction of the brand’s famous hallmarks such as the Mercure Grands Vins wine list (which presents guests with a dedicated local state wine list for a true ‘taste’ of the region) and Pure Pleasures elements which make any stay at Mercure special.
In addition the environmentally aware hotel will eventually implement the acclaimed Mercure Meetings Carbon Neutral Conference program. Mercure hotels in Australia work closely with the Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI) to calculate and offset greenhouse gas emission sources, such as a travel and accommodation, to provide a full range of services to guests without impacting the environment – a perfect complement to Kingfisher Bay’s eco-conscious approach to tourism.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
