Whether you find yourself in Melbourne for business or pleasure, visit or staycation, the one thing you’re sure to stumble upon this year is a brand-new luxury hotel.
Hotel-goers can expect exciting restoration of old favourites, plus some newcomers such as a Zaha Hadid-designed tower and the W Hotel’s Extreme Wow Suite. Melbourne’s CBD in 2020 is set to be a hotbed of luxurious new places to rest your head.
Vibe Melbourne, Queen Street
Opening in March 2020
A classic two-storey Heritage-listed building situated in the city’s Queen Street is being developed by the locally based Caydon Property Group into a glass-fronted hotel and residential tower.
The original building was finished in 1873 and, known as the Cobden Building, served as offices for the maritime trade. In 1955, clothing manufacturer and retailer Fletcher Jones bought the building and it became an iconic fixture for Melbourneshoppers.
Vibe Melbourne will take in views of the Yarra River and Southbank all the way to Port Phillip Bay, and its dual frontage will also offer city views. Vibe will have 206 hotel rooms, an indoor heated swimming pool, a gym, a ground floor lobby and restaurant plus 200 square metres of conference facilities. It will also be within walking distance of Flinders Street Station, Melbourne’s Crown complex and Southbank.
Hilton Melbourne, Little Queen Street
Opening in June 2020
Set to open in the first quarter of 2020 is Hilton Melbourne, Little Queen Street. Seen as a re-introduction of the Hilton brand into the Melbourne market, this 244-room hotel will be centrally located on the corner of Little Queen Street and Bourke Street.
Built on the historically significant Equity Chambers building site, the hotel will be of particular interest to Melburnians. Built in 1931, the Equity Chambers building was designed by architects Oakley & Parkes, and is known for its beautiful revival architectural style, and Italian Romanesque and Gothic detailing. Locals will be glad to know that the designers of this new space have worked closely with the Heritage Council of Victoria to preserve the building’s heritage, while restoring its original 1930s beauty.
As well as being rich in Victorian grandeur, the hotel will feature 244 stylish guest rooms including 10 spacious suites, a restaurant and bar, fully equipped gym, executive lounge and five meeting and event spaces.
W Hotel, Melbourne
Opening in June 2020
After successfully throwing open the doors to a new development in Brisbane and announcing plans for a Sydney hotel in 2020, W Hotel is also making its mark on Melbourne.
Sitting pretty on Collins Street with its lobby on Flinders Lane, the centrally located hotel is part of the A$1.3 billion Collins Arch development in Melbourne’s CBD. Set to transform the city’s skyline, Collins Arch is to be comprised of two towers of commercial, residential and retail spaces, all joined at the top by a dramatic sky bridge.
In W’s typically luxurious style, there will be 294 rooms including 29 suites, three suites with balconies, and an ‘Extreme Wow Suite’. No word yet as to who’ll be running the restaurant, but we do know there will be a spa, gym and ‘wet deck’ on level 14 complete with heated indoor pool and built-in DJ booth.
Also in abundance at W Melbourne is access to meeting rooms and function spaces. A light-flooded, 13,000-square-metre space with 5.6-metre ceilings will be an impressive venue for conferences and parties alike. There will also be four other meeting rooms, big enough to fit between 20 and 90 guests.
Mandarin Oriental, Melbourne
Opening TBC
If there was ever a hotel to get excited about, it’s this one. Opening dates are shrouded in secrecy but rumours allude to 2023. Whenever the golden date may be, the city awaits the Zaha Hadid-designed tower with bated breath. To be taking pride of place on Collins Street, the brand’s first Australian property will have 196 luxury guestrooms and suites and 148 private residences. Not forgetting, of course, the obligatory rooftop terrace and spa to crown it all.
