CORPORATE
Our Journey
Voyages Hotels and Resorts was formed in March of 2000 but there had been a journey of nearly 10 years prior to that time which started with the formation of the Ayers Rock Resort Company Limited (ARRCL) in 1992.
Following a chequered history of the tourism developments in the Red Centre, which had included both public and private ownership, ARRCL assumed responsibility for the management of the total resort. With centralised management in place, the resort became profitable and started to win awards for its service to the industry.
A period of sustained growth and expansion followed which included the acquisition of new properties in Alice Springs and Kings Canyon, providing guests with increased opportunities to experience the central desert region of Australia.
In September 1997, General Property Trust (GPT), one of the largest property trusts listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, purchased the Ayers Rock Resort assets. This was the first of many investments in tourism and hospitality by GPT.
GPT now has a property portfolio upwards of $12 billion (as at year ended 2006) with the Australian hotel/tourism portfolio valued at $845 million and forming approximately 7% of GPT's total property assets.
The Voyages name was adopted in 2000 to better reflect our guests' desire to journey to unusual destinations for an outstanding experience. The new name also allowed for future diversification.
This indeed began in 2001 when Voyages purchased Odyssey Tours and Safaris, one of Australia's leading tour and safari operators. Odyssey had been operating for 15 years and specialised in highly interpretive, deluxe small group tours to sensitive eco and cultural areas of Australia.
Soon after, Voyages acquired Coconut Beach Rainforest Lodge and Ferntree Rainforest Lodge in Far North Queensland. Extensive refurbishments took place and the resorts were launched in March 2002.
The six-star Longitude 131° resort opened to much acclaim in June 2002. Longitude 131° is a deluxe safari-style tented campsite with each of the 15 tents designed in respect of, and with recognition to, the indigenous and non indigenous pioneers of Australia. This is supported by the interior design which tells a visual narrative of Australian history, paying homage to the achievements of early pioneers and drawing on design features such as washbasins and travel trunks to reinforce the theme.
The property is spectacularly located atop a sand dune close to the border of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park. Since its opening, Longitude 131° has won multiple industry awards recognising its position of excellence in the Australian tourism industry. The property re-opened in July 2004, less than nine months after it was destroyed by a bushfire in late 2003.
Also in July, 2004, Voyages, together with parent company GPT, acquired P&O Australian Resorts adding properties in Tasmania's Central Highlands and Queensland's Outback and Great Barrier Reef.
Complementing existing operations in the Red Centre, Top End and Cape Tribulation in Tropical North Queensland, Voyages Hotels and Resorts, acquired nine of Australia's most spectacular wilderness properties from P&O Australian Resorts.
The acquisition, which involved the purchase of Lizard, Dunk, Bedarra, Brampton, Wilson and Heron Islands, Cradle Mountain Lodge and Silky Oaks Lodge, was a natural fit for Voyages whose portfolio already included the award-winning Longitude 131°, Ayers Rock Resort and Odyssey Tours and Safaris as well as Kings Canyon, Alice Springs and Cape Tribulation resorts.
The next exciting venture saw the opening of the premium Wrotham Park Lodge in September 2004. The resort was a joint venture with two iconic Australian brands, the Australian Agricultural Company and RM Williams. Situated in the Queensland outback, 300 kms due west of Cairns, it provides guests with an opportunity to experience life on a 600,000ha working cattle station.
Further west, Voyages and parent company, GPT acquired the El Questro Wilderness Park in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia in July 2005. This acquisition increased the number of hotels under management to 23 with around 1,850 hotel rooms in the portfolio.
Located on a million acres El Questro has an array of accommodation styles. It is situated on the eastern perimeter of the Kimberley and runs for approximately 80km into the heart of the region. Home to an abundance of animal, bird and fish life, El Questro boasts four major river systems - from fresh water springs to lazy salt water estuaries in the northern part of the property.
As such, El Questro fits in very well with Voyages' philosophy of providing visitors with incredible, memorable experiences which they would not be able to enjoy elsewhere in Australia.
In early 2006, Voyages sold its Darwin-based Odyssey Tours and Safaris to New South Wales-based Australian Wilderness Tours. Despite being a successful and popular tour business over the years, Odyssey was not a core business for Voyages hence the decision to sell. The decision by Australian Wilderness Tours to buy Odyssey meant customers would continue to be offered a comparable high quality product under the new owners.
The next development in the Voyages lifecycle, saw the sale of the Cape Tribulation resorts - Coconut Beach Rainforest Lodge, Ferntree Rainforest Lodge, Jungle Lodge and dive operation Odyssey H20 - in early 2007.
All properties, including Odyssey H20, were acquired by a listed public company, Ocean Capital Limited. Whilst the original acquisition of the Cape Tribulation assets in 2002 gave Voyages a strong Daintree Rainforest experiential presence, the further acquisition of Silky Oaks Lodge in 2004 provided the group with a resort which represented a better overall fit within the portfolio.
Further developments are currently being discussed which will see Voyages leverage our experience of providing travellers with memorable experiences in spectacular wilderness locations throughout Australia.
