Little National Hotel and Canberra Airport win top ACT Property Council Awards

A Canberra hotel redefining Australia’s accommodation industry and the territory’s revamped airport have snapped up top gongs at the Property Council of Australia’s ACT Awards Night.

Doma Group’s Little National Hotel in Barton was awarded the ACT Innovation Award as Australia’s first ‘budget luxury’ hotel.

The 120-room hotel was designed to accommodate public and private sector employees travelling to Canberra for work.

Doma Group managing director Jure Domazet said rooms were generally priced in the sub-$170 per night bracket to match accommodation allowances for Commonwealth non-senior executive staff.

“It is also targets the large contingent of interstate workers who attend Parliament House during session including media, lobbyists, support staff and other travellers whose accommodation requirements are driven by convenience and location, rather than the provision of in-house amenities,” he said.

Canberra Airport was crowned ACT Business of the Year for its development of the airport precinct, which also won the People’s Choice Award.

Canberra Airport was also nominated for Best Public Building at the Property Council of Australia’s national Innovation and Excellence Awards earlier this year.

Deakin’s Equinox Business Park, developed by Evri Group and AMC Architecture, won the ACT Development of the Year Award.

The precinct was also nominated for Best Business or Industrial Park at the Property Council of Australia’s national awards.

Colliers International’s national director of capital markets, Tim Mutton was named ACT Future Leader of the Year, while renowned Canberra architect, the late Alastair Swayn was posthumously awarded the Allan Wylucki ACT Property Professional of the Year Award.

The awards were presented at a gala dinner at the National Arboretum Canberra on August 26.

Property Council of Australia ACT executive director Merlin King said the annual awards recognised the work being done to invigorate the nation’s capital.

“The property industry is firing Canberra’s economy,” he said.

“The people and projects we are celebrating [with awards] are representative of an industry that is creating jobs, delivering world-class projects and significantly improving the public amenity of our nation’s great capital.

“The property industry is at the forefront of innovation, sustainability and forward-looking practice.”