The heritage-listed Mercure Canberra will be the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival‘s first-ever accommodation partner. The hotel will host events, launch the festival, and bring interstate visitors to stay and participate in the festival.

“The Mercure Canberra [is] the perfect heritage festival accommodation partner,” said Rebecca Vassarotti, ACT Minister for Heritage.

The hotel – opened in 1927 as the Hotel Ainslie – is a heritage-listed landmark in the ACT, and recently joined the Canberra Tracks network with a sign that tells the site’s history.

“Mercure Canberra are proud to partner with the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival in 2022,” said hotel manager Lukas Wilfling. “It has always been our desire to offer our guests a modern, up-to-date hotel that also highlights our rich history. As a heritage hotel built in 1926, we will provide guests to the festival with a historic setting, with the benefit of modern four-star comforts, from which to enjoy all the festival has to offer.

“With our new Canberra Tracks Heritage sign taking pride of place facing Limestone Avenue, we look forward to capturing the public’s imagination as to our unique story and invite them inside for a drink with us in the public bar, Olims.”

An exclusive Heritage Festival package will be made available to interstate visitors attending the hundred plus events in April.

“This partnership will help the festival maximise its reach into new markets, and give us insight into the numbers coming to the ACT for the festival,” Ms Vassarotti said.

“It is another way the ACT Government is supporting the tourism industry after a difficult 18 months. The Heritage Festival is in its 39^th year, and this partnership with a heritage-listed hotel is a step forward to recognising the importance of heritage tourism to the local economy.”

The festival begins on 9 April 2022. Ms Vassarotti encouraged the Canberra community to register their events and activities around the theme of ‘Curiosity’. 

“In 2022, we really want to see the community challenging what they perceive as heritage,” the minister said.  “The theme of ‘Curiosity’ will focus on the foundation of new ideas, creativity, and innovation in the way we view heritage within the ACT.

Last year’s two-week festival had more than 160 events. This year’s festival will be extended for an additional weekend to include a new kid’s week, focusing on events that encourage kids to engage with heritage.

Ms Vassarotti invited all event holders and interested community members to register their event for the 2022 festival (visit the Heritage Festival website). This year, she wanted to see more events that engaged children, or that showcased the ACT’s rich Aboriginal culture.

“If you have a passion for our region’s story, or know of a good yarn or two from the history of Canberra, then don’t be afraid to put an event together and share it with the community,” Ms Vassarotti said.