Metro Hotels

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Metro Hotels
Metro Hotels
Company typePublic
ASX: TCO
ISINTCO
IndustryHospitality
GenreHotel chain
Founded1976
FounderJohn McEvoy[1]
FateActive
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
Number of locations
8 (2020)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
John McEvoy (Chairman)[1]
Peter Frawley (Managing Director)[2]
ServicesAccommodation
Revenue$28,408,475 (AUD) (2019)
Number of employees
200+ (2020)
ParentTransmetro Corporation
DivisionsMetro Hospitality Group
Websitemetrohotels.com.au
Footnotes / references
Annual Report for 2019 on Australian Securities Exchange

Metro Hotels is an Australian hotel chain founded in 1976.[3] The company is owned by Transmetro Corporation Limited and overseen by Metro Hospitality Group, a trading division of Transmetro Corporation.[4] Metro Hotels operates 15 hotels and 2 pubs at multiple locations in Australia.[5] The company is the oldest fully Australian owned hotel chain and has been traded on the Australian Securities Exchange since 1987.[6][7] Metro Hotels is in a strategic partnership with Argyle Hotel Group. The company is currently headquartered in Sydney, Australia.[4]

History[edit]

Metro Hotels was founded in 1976 in Sydney, by John McEvoy who is the current chairman of the company and has served as the chairman and the managing director of Transmetro Corporation Limited since 1979. Metro Hotels is the main trading entity of The Metro Hospitality Group, the operating arm of Transmetro Corporation. From 2007 to 2015, George Bedwani served as the chief operating officer of the company.[8] Peter Frawley joined in 2015, following George Bedwani's retirement, and is the current Managing Director of the company.[9] The company operates 8 hotels in Sydney, 2 hotels in Gladstone, 1 each in Ipswich, Perth, Darwin and Groote Eylandt with 2 pubs in Adelaide and Sydney. In 2007, Metro Hotels entered into a marketing alliance with Argyle Hotel Group, an Australian hotel management company operating an extensive range of hotels in China. The group is also a participant in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.[10]

Metro Hotels came into business in the mid 1970s with acquisitions of three hotels including the Metro Inn Edgecliff on New South Head Road in 1976, Metro Hotel Miranda in the Sutherland Shire, in 1978, and Metro Inn Ryde on Victoria Road in 1977.[11] Metro Hotels also operated the landmark Canberra Rex Hotel in Canberra for a period until 1988.[12] President of the United States, Lyndon Johnson stayed at the Canberra Rex Hotel during his visit to Australia in 1966.[13] In 1988, the Canberra Rex Hotel was sold to Millie Phillips.[citation needed]

In 1994, Metro Hotels took over the operations of The Tower Mill Hotel in Brisbane. At the time of acquisition, the hotel was already 28 years old.[14] The Tower Mill Hotel was redeveloped by Gorman Property in July 1994.[15] It was the scene of protests and demonstration against the South African apartheid regime and the Springboks who were touring Australia for rugby matches and were staying at The Tower Mill.[16][17] One of the student protesters, Peter Beattie, went on to become the Premier of Queensland.[18] The events of 1971 inspired the book called The Tower Mill by James Moloney.[19][20] The Tower Mill Hotel was considered to be one of Brisbane's most innovative buildings and in 2007, The Courier-Mail described the hotel as a no-frills tower of strength.[21] In May 2018, Metro Hotels sold its interest in The Tower Mill Hotel to Interstay.[22][23]

In 2009, Metro Hotels contemplated to build a $20 million, 170-room, four-star hotel in Auckland, New Zealand on the site where a brothel operated. However, due to the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the plan never materialized.[24] In 2011, Metro Hotels acquired a pub in Haymarket, New South Wales which was originally called the Palace and was opened in 1877. The company changed its name from Paddy McGuires Pub to Yardhouse Bar and Brasserie. Metro Hotels soon received notice from Yardhouse, a theme pub operator in the United States, that it had an Australian registered trademark in Australia for the Yardhouse name. Metro Hotels renamed the hotel The Palace since 1877.[25]

In 2014, Metro Hotels joined with an estimated two thirds of hotels across Australia to cut back services over Easter because of Australia’s high penalty rates. The industry move was attacked by the head of the Australian hospitality union, who described it as "an attack on Australian values and the Australian way of life".[26] Until 2017, Metro Hotels operated two hotels on Pitt Street, a major street in Sydney. One of the hotels, The four star Metro Hotel on Pitt, which the company had operated since 2003, was closed in September 2017 to make way for a station for the Sydney Metro.[27][28]

Locations[edit]

Hotel City
Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney
Metro Aspire Sydney
Metro Apartments Darling Harbour Sydney
Metro Apartments on King Sydney
Metro Hotel Miranda Sydney
Metro Inn Ryde Sydney
Metro Mirage Hotel Sydney
Palace Hotel since 1877 Sydney
Metro Apartments on Bank Place Melbourne
Metro Hotel Ipswich International Ipswich
Metro Hotel & Apartments Gladstone Gladstone
Apartments G60 Gladstone
Metro Hotel Perth Perth
Metro Advance Apartments & Hotel Darwin
Groote Eylandt Lodge Groote Eylandt
The Elephant British Pub Adelaide

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b John McEvoy Founder of Metro Hotels Bloomberg Retrieved 5 December 2018
  2. ^ Peter J Frawley is the Managing Director at Metro Hotels Bloomberg Retrieved 5 December 2018
  3. ^ John A. C. McEvoy founded the Metro group in 1976 Bloomberg Retrieved 5 December 2018
  4. ^ a b The Metro Hospitality Group, the company's trading division, oversees the Metro Hotels chain The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 5 December 2018
  5. ^ Metro Hotels comprises over 15 hotels, apartments, resorts and inns through-out Australia Financial Times Retrieved 5 December 2018
  6. ^ Transmetro Corporation Ltd (TCO.AX) Reuters Retrieved 5 December 2018
  7. ^ Prices and research TCO Australian Securities Exchange Retrieve 5 December 2018
  8. ^ George will be taking on responsibility for the management of Metro Hotel Group’s 11 properties throughout Australia TravelMole Retrieved 5 December 2018
  9. ^ Metro Hotels appoints Peter Frawley as Managing Director ETB News Retrieved 5 December 2018
  10. ^ Metro Hotels is a Qantas Frequent Flyer and Argyle Hotel Group Metro Hotels Retrieved 5 December 2018
  11. ^ Metro Hotel Miranda on Sutherland Shire Australia Sutherland Shire Australia Retrieved 5 December 2018
  12. ^ LBJ came all the way to Aust The Canberra Times Retrieved 5 December 2018
  13. ^ All the way, and beyond The Australian Retrieved 5 December 2018
  14. ^ City Centre Heritage Final Government of Queensland Retrieved 5 December 2018
  15. ^ Transmetro Sells Landmark Brisbane Hotel The Urban Developer Retrieved 5 December 2018
  16. ^ Springbok demo at the Tower Mill Motel, Wickham Terrace Your Brisbane Retrieve 5 December 2018
  17. ^ Long gone, but not forgotten Griffith Review Retrieved 5 December 2018
  18. ^ Changing times as Peter Beattie welcomes South African rugby ESPN Retrieved 5 December 2018
  19. ^ The Tower Mill by James Moloney University of Queensland Press Retrieved 5 December 2018
  20. ^ Abortion, desertion, corruption, self-interest, revenge and the need for justice: Petrina Meldrum reviews ‘The Tower Mill’ by James Moloney Rochford Street Review Retrieved 5 December 2018
  21. ^ No-frills tower of strength The Courier-Mail Retrieved 5 December 2018
  22. ^ Transmetro sells Tower Mill to Interstay BTN News Retrieved 5 December 2018
  23. ^ The holding was purchased by the Interstay Holdings Pty Ltd group Australian Securities Exchange Retrieved 5 December 2018
  24. ^ Hotel plan for famed brothel site The New Zealand Herald Retrieved 5 December 2018
  25. ^ Sydney’s new Yardhouse is a palace Star Observer Retrieved 5 December 2018
  26. ^ Wage costs 'force' hotel closure at Easter SBS News Retrieved 5 December 2018
  27. ^ Metro Hotel on Pitt has now closed for business to make way for the new Sydney Metro underground train line Metro Hotels Retrieved 5 December 2018
  28. ^ Pitt Street Metro station taking shape The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 5 December 2018

External links[edit]

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