There’s no place like home – unless it’s the new hotel at Tonsley Innovation District
Work has commenced on Tonsley Innovation District’s first hotel—a soon-to-be six-storey bespoke building on the high-profile corner of Tonsley Boulevard and MAB Circuit—offering elegant accommodation options for the district’s growing number of visiting professionals, tertiary students and tourists.
Architecturally designed by local planning and design firm, Intro, and operated by La Loft Apartments, the hotel will comprise 88 suites for short stays and 17 serviced apartments for extended stays, as well as conferencing facilities, function and office space, a gym, café, bar and restaurant.
According to John Roper, Director at La Loft Apartments, the new hotel fills a significant void in the accommodation market in and around Tonsley and aims to provide guests with flexibility, comfort and proximity to both the burgeoning innovation district and Adelaide’s southern vales wine region.
"“The location is ideal for corporate travellers and those wanting to explore the Fleurieu, being a short walk to the new Tonsley Railway Station, the award-winning Main Assembly Building (MAB), the emerging Tonsley Village and of course Flinders Medical Centre, all of which supports a thriving and diverse community that is superbly connected and is coming and going all the time,” "
John Roper, Director at La Loft Apartments
Plans for the hotel have been in the pipeline for some months but were delayed as a result of Covid-19. Though timelines had to be altered, enthusiasm and vision for the project remained undiminished. Now it’s all systems go at the 1,500m2 site, where underflooring and lift wells have been installed and other subterranean works are now complete.
“We are delighted to have broken ground at Tonsley and look forward to seeing the hotel structure begin to emerge above ground over the next few months,” John says.
Due for completion in August 2022, the hotel will seek to promote the best of South Australian food and wine, with a particular emphasis on local artisan chocolate. With this in mind, guests will have the opportunity to participate in wine-tasting and observe the art of chocolate-making during their stay.
"“South Australia is not only home to the great McLaren Vale shiraz, but also iconic chocolatiers such as Melba’s, Haigh’s and Menz. As part of our hotel offering we want to draw on this delicious South Australian heritage and showcase the best of both artisan industries and how they can be paired and celebrated… being located at the gateway to the Fleurieu Peninsula, we feel that we are perfectly positioned to offer visitors their first taste of the region.”"
John Roper, Director at La Loft Apartments
Designed to be modern, sleek and complementary to the architectural style of the emerging Tonsley neighbourhood, the hotel will be four-and-a-half star and primarily aimed at servicing professional travellers who are visiting Tonsley Innovation District for business or study.
"“The time is right for Tonsley Innovation District to have a high-quality hotel on site, given that many of the high-value manufacturing businesses located here—which now employ 1,700 staff—regularly host visits from interstate and overseas partners,”"
Vincent Rigter, Project Director for Tonsley
“It also makes sense to have on-site accommodation for our rapidly growing population of students, researchers and residents, Tonsley being home to both Flinders University and TAFE SA, as well as a growing residential precinct, which at completion will increase the Tonsley population by about 1,600.
“The hotel is poised to become a key connector for Tonsley as well as a springboard to Adelaide’s playground in the south, including its vineyards, beaches, bike trails and restaurants.
"“Renewal SA is committed to its vision of delivering an innovation precinct that not only drives economic growth through world-class entrepreneurship, but that attracts people to its centre, building community and collaboration."
Vincent Rigter, Project Director for Tonsley
“Developments such as the new La Loft hotel—alongside Tonsley’s soon-to-be-opened wetland and greenway and its pending microbrewery, retail precinct and supermarket—help us deliver on this vision and facilitate a truly mixed-use space that offers maximum convenience and amenity to all who live, work and play here.
“Tonsley will soon be in a position to accommodate sightseers and corporate guests in a way it has not previously been able to do, enabling them to spend real time here, close to the action… this is an exciting and important development for the precinct as a whole,” Vincent says.
If you would like your business to neighbour these amazing innovators, check out our commercial accommodation options and see if your business is a fit for Tonsley Innovation District.
Stay up to date with the latest news, developments events and activities at Tonsley Innovation District