A METROPOLIS IN METAMORPHOSIS

Perth steps into the limelight with a slew of luxury hotel and exciting restaurant openings.

- KOH YUEN LIN

The glamorous Crown Casino Perth was expanded in 2016 to the tune of AUD650 million (S$605 million). An AUD1.6 billion multipurpose stadium has welcomed the likes of U2 and Taylor Swift since its opening in 2018. A spanking new The Ritz-Carlton, Perth – the first in Australia after a two-decade hiatus from the group – offers a sprawling 2,981 sq ft top-floor suite with panoramic views of Swan River you can experience for AUD8,888 a night.

For a town built on the fast riches of Western Australia’s mining boom – and sucked into a downward spiral when the same industry collapsed in 2015 – Perth has sprung back, with plenty of exciting developments.

Underscoring the city’s Herculean effort to rise from ashes is Elizabeth Quay – a scenic mixeduse waterfront development that links the Perth CBD to Swan River, creating a business, leisure and entertainment hub that has attracted over a A$2 billion stake in private investments since its launch in 2016.

Incentives from the government have also seen a phenomenal boom in hotel openings. Just last year, besides The Ritz-Carlton, Park Regis Subiaco, Doubletree by Hilton Perth Northbridge and Art Series – The Adnate, Perth also opened. This means the addition of some 5,000 rooms in the last six years, with another thousand to come by 2022.

Of course, the opening of high-end properties often translates to new destination restaurants. Think Wildflower, a contemporary fine dining venue, and David Thompson’s Long Chim, located within the same heritage complex as luxury hotel Como The Treasury, celebrity chef Guy Grossi’s Garum, The Westin Perth’s signature restaurant, and The Ritz-Carlton, Perth’s Hearth.