South Australian owned hotel group Matthews Hospitality is investing more than $13 million to boost the state’s economy.
The investments include a recent hotel purchase as well as venue refurbishments and accommodation upgrades, staff attraction and retention and the creation of local tours and overnight tourism packages.
While the strategies are intended to reinvest funding back into the communities which supported Matthews Hospitality’s 10 venues throughout the pandemic, it is also targeting the growing popularity in intra-state travel.
The family-run group announced that the plans for the tourism and overnight packages would coincide with accommodation upgrades at its Mount Gambier Hotel and has been partly funded in the latest round of Tourism Development Industry Fund grants under the Marshall Government.
“The resurgence of intra-state travel because of COVID-19 has led to strong patronage at our regional hotels and we are pleased to create new tourism experiences in the South East,” Matthews Hospitality CEO, Andrew Kemp said.
“These are intended to grow visitation to encourage more visitors to Mount Gambier to enjoy the world-class experiences and produce the Limestone Coast has to offer.”
In addition to encouraging tourism into the region, the $13m investment also includes the purchase of the Salisbury Hotel, an extensive renovation of the Maylands Hotel and new technologies across its 10 hospitality venues including support for the attraction and retention of staff.
Kemp said the investment represented a vote of confidence by the Matthews family in South Australian communities.
“We have been fortunate and humbled by the support of our customers following COVID-19. This investment is our way of giving back to our communities and playing a role in their future success,” he said.
“Matthews Hospitality has a proud family history, legacy and values, and we continue to preserve and honour these qualities.”
Matthews Hospitality has owned a total of 36 hotel licences and freeholds during its time of operations after being established in World War II, with Salisbury, Feathers, Maylands, Buckingham Arms, Eyre, Mount Gambier, Park and South Eastern Hotels, as well as Colhurst House B&B and Feathers Pavilion, currently in its books.
The group also underwent a succession plan into its third generation of the Matthews family, late last year.
Photo by John Krüger: (l-r) Andrew Kemp, Lee Cook (GM of Hospitality), and Naomi Dunn (Venue Manager, Salisbury Hotel).