Welcome Quest!

By David Schout

Development Victoria (DV) has now officially opened the 221-apartment hotel Quest NewQuay after it opened its doors earlier this year.

The NewQuay development is now the largest property among Quest’s portfolio of over 170 properties throughout Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

And on July 15, members of the Docklands Chamber of Commerce, DV and developer MAB Corporation joined together to celebrate the official launch.

Development director at DV Karen Cowden said the new apartment hotel, located on Caravel Lane, would become a vital part of an area that continued to grow.

“NewQuay is a significant contributor to Docklands,” she said.

“It’s a vibrant precinct for Melburnians to live, work and play and the new Quest NewQuay will provide visitors with another fantastic option for accommodation – one that’s close to the water, the refurbished District Docklands, the Melbourne Observation Wheel, Marvel Stadium and the free tram service linking the CBD.”

The hotel, which opened in February, is designed to cater towards a premium “home-away-from-home” experience for visitors and accommodates both extended and short-stay travellers.

It achieved full occupancy within just a month of opening earlier this year; something franchisee Stacy Andronikos attributed to the dynamic business surrounds in Docklands.

“High occupancy of premium accommodation is a sign of a healthy business environment,” Mr Andronikos said.

“We’re thrilled to be part of NewQuay’s development and want to thank MAB, Quest and Development Victoria for helping us reach this point.”

Mr Andronikos and business partner Daniel Hibberd promised staff earlier this year that, should they fill the facility within the first month, they would walk over to Victoria Harbour and jump into the water – suits and all.

And sure enough, when the goal was achieved they plunged into the drink, happily captured on camera at the time by Docklands News.

Mr Hibberd’s family has also owned Quest Bourke St since 2005.