Just added in January: three major projects to watch

Among the latest inclusions, we’ve picked out three interesting hotel developments to keep an eye out for, so let’s check them out below.

The Gorge Hotel

Rendered for CBG Architects by 4D Studio.

The luxury Gorge Hotel will take shape in Launceston, Tasmania in Australia for a Q1 2027 opening. A total of 145 rooms will be accommodated throughout a nine-storey 39 m high property on a 6,025 sq m plot of land. The top floor will be reserved for five-star penthouse suites.

Developer The JAC Group is investing AUS$50 million in the building, which will house a restaurant, bar, spa, 500+ delegate conference facilities and retail space, and will be developed over two phases.

Located on the edge of downtown Penny Royal and Cataract Gorge, guest rooms will have waterfront views. The design, by CBG Architects, draws inspiration from the surrounding cliffs and waterfalls to enhance the area’s key features. Glazed glass on the building’s facade gives the appearance of flowing water during the day, while the lobby’s cliff wall ensures that every aspect of the building has Launceston appeal at heart.

Sheybarah Resort Red Sea

The Red Sea Development Company is turning the uninhabited Sheybarah Island off the coast of Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia, into an iconic resort. As part of the Red Sea gigaproject, 73 prefabricated steel ball villas will form the complex’s overwater and inland accommodation.

The futuristic overwater globes will be arranged in a circular effect, reflecting the sea, sky and reef below, with the designs inspired by the natural environment. The inland villas are inspired by sweeping desert sand dunes and are secluded to give guests a sense of privacy.

Sheybarah Resort Red Sea is being designed by Dubai-based architecture firm Killa Design, including the arrivals, front of house and food and beverage buildings and other facilities. The approach to the facade design was to minimize the visual impact of the architecture on the environment. Project delivery is currently scheduled for Q3 2024.

Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton

The Seminole Tribe of Florida and Seminole Gaming are planning Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton to replace the existing Seminole Brighton Casino, which first opened in 1980 and is located three miles north of the upcoming site in Okeechobee, Florida, USA. The new resort is expected to open in late 2024, less than two years from the start of construction.

The new casino complex will include the first hotel to be built on the Brighton Seminole Reservation. It will feature 100 guest rooms on four floors, totaling 72,000 square feet.

Dining options will include a 124-seat 24-hour restaurant, a 60-seat steakhouse, and a quick service and takeout cafe offering a combination of items from a coffee bar and pizza kitchen. An indoor event space with a snack bar can be configured to offer 400 seats for banquet events or bingo games, or 900 seats set up as a performance hall.

An amenity deck adjacent to the hotel will offer a 1,500 sq. ft. pool with a built-in sun rack, plus a 12,500 sq. ft. pool deck with room for 76 chaise lounges, 40 chairs and two cabanas. An outdoor stage will provide a second entertainment venue at the complex that will accommodate as many as 3,000 guests for concerts, comedy shows or other performances.