Tourism Minister Paul Papalia has turned the first sod to mark the start of construction on the redevelopment of Hotel Rottnest.
Hotel Rottnest will nearly double in size as part of the $24 million redevelopment, with an extra 80 rooms to be constructed.
Eighteen existing hotel rooms will be demolished to make way for the new development that will also include two pools, a reception pavilion, outdoor dining, function facilities (up to 250 persons), grassed area and utility areas.
Hotel Rottnest's bar and restaurant will continue to trade during construction, with the new development set to be completed for the summer of 2020.
The development comes after more record visitor numbers were achieved in April and May, with new figures showing that the Rottnest Island experience is still attractive in the cooler months.
With 135,000 visitors heading to the island in April and May, the total visitation numbers for 2018-19 increases to a record-breaking 758,239 visitors with June figures still to come.
Despite the hotel's luxury expansion, the McGowan Government is committed to building on the island's appeal and sustainment into the future, recently injecting $16.2 million into key infrastructure.
The Rottnest Island Authority is currently enabling infrastructure works with designs for the Fuel Jetty underway, and plans for the Thomson Bay South Development (construction of a barge landing at the Army Jetty) and Main Jetty progressing.
As stated by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia:
"With visitor numbers continuing to increase, Rottnest Island is on target to reach its 2034 target of 800,000 annual visitors - more than a decade ahead of time.
"Rottnest Island continues to experience huge visitation numbers, which is why our investment towards key infrastructure is vital in ensuring the island's sustainability into the future.
"The reinvigoration of Rottnest is well underway, with the opening of Discovery, the start of the Hotel redevelopment and concept planning to improve the visitor experience on the Main Jetty.
"Whether it is premium hotel rooms, a classic Rottnest unit overlooking the bay or a glamping experience, we are definitely bringing more variety to the island and ensuring Rottnest's appeal will continue into the future."
