Accor to Open the First Handwritten Collection Hotel in Australia

The Wonil Hotel Perth, a new Handwritten Collection hotel scheduled to debut at the Forrest Hall Precinct in early February 2023, will be managed by Accor, the country’s largest hotel operator.

The new hotel is situated next to The University of Western Australia on the banks of the Swan River and is surrounded by peppermint trees, which go by the Noongar name Wonil, which means “peppermint tree.”

By using a special operating model, the hotel’s net profits will be invested back into the Forrest Research Foundation (FRF), which will therefore be able to continue supporting fellows and scholars in the present and the future.

Wonil Hotel is joining a global portfolio of charming bespoke hotels that provide an intimate and stylish hospitality experience as part of Accor’s new Handwritten Collection. It offers 66 short-stay accommodation rooms and is open to all, from visitors to any of Western Australia’s five universities to guests seeking a leisure break in the area. There will also be a high-end dining option with expansive views of the Swan River and the Crawley campus of UWA, which will be popular with both hotel guests and locals.

Elders who were engaged by Dr. Richard Walley OAM, lecturer and cultural consultant at the School of Indigenous Studies at UWA, concurred that the name was acceptable.

The hotel completes the construction of the Forrest Hall Precinct, which also has office space for the Minderoo Foundation, one of Australasia’s major philanthropies, and 52 rooms for scholars and fellows.

The Forrest Research Foundation, which fosters research and innovation capacity in Western Australia by providing fellowships and scholarships to the world’s top thinkers, is supported by the Forrest Hall Precinct. Following a gift from Andrew and Nicola Forrest made through the Minderoo Foundation, FRF was founded in 2014.

Early in 2019, the Wonil Hotel is anticipated to open, providing a schedule of events and activities for FRF scholars, hotel guests, as well as students from all five universities in Western Australia and the general public.

The nomination of Accor and the disclosure of the hotel’s name, according to Professor James Arvanitakis, director of the Forrest Research Foundation, is an exciting milestone for the State.

Professor Arvanitakis added that Accor was a perfect partner for FRF since its “Hospitality of the Heart” campaign, which aims to combat society’s most vulnerable members’ social and economic marginalization, was consistent with the foundation’s principles and overarching objectives.

Through employment, career development, procurement, and cultural experiences for guests, the Accor Indigenous Programs have contributed significantly to Indigenous success in Australia’s hospitality industry for the past 20 years. Accor plays the role of enabler by discovering authentic ways to share Indigenous culture through storytelling, food, performance, and art.