Hedland Hotel refurbishment set to ‘redefine’ Port Hedland, says venue owner

A multi-million-dollar redevelopment of an iconic waterfront hotel in Port Hedland has been unveiled, with the owner touting it as a game changer for leisure in the usually work-centric town. Dubbed Rays, the refurbishment of the Hedland Hotel has been a long-anticipated glow-up for the Hedland coastline, with the 1960s building laying largely unchanged aside from a small renovation in the 90s. Bringing a fresh Palm Springs-style theme, three new bars, eight separate seating spaces and a Southern Californian food menu, the revamp is one of a handful of projects which would reinvent Port Hedland, according to the chairman of Prendiville Group, the business’ parent company, Peter Prendiville. “The Hedland Hotel is only one of the many exciting new initiatives playing their part to redefine what Port Hedland is fundamentally known for,” he said. Other large-scale upgrades to the town include the ongoing work on the $187.5 million Spoilbank Marina, the $28.4m Port Hedland International Airport upgrades, and the $22m investment into the turf club and community centre. The family run Prendiville Group acquired the Hedland Hotel in 2018 and worked with local organisations like Care for Hedland and the Town of Port Hedland in the redevelopment. When hotel manager Ross McGregor spoke to the North West Telegraph in May, he said that he believed the redevelopment would also provide an economic boost to the town. “There’s very limited spending in the region. We want to change that,” he said. “We think there will be an additional 10 to 15 jobs.”