2023 was a big year for Melbourne hotel openings. The year saw the launch of hotels Rydges Melbourne, Le Meridien Melbourne, and the long-awaited Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, to name a few.
This year is set to be the same, with Australia’s first branch of trendy boutique hotel brand The Standard opening in Fitzroy, a 60-storey luxury hotel Shangri-La Melbourne set to open, and the sustainable 1 Hotels launching at a new site along the Yarra River, giving guests water views.
Ahead, we’re sharing all the details of the new hotels opening in Melbourne this year. Let this be your inspo for where to staycation or weekend break in the Garden City in 2024.
The StandardX
A rooftop restaurant, Thai eatery, and shop with sunscreens, sodas, and snacks will feature at Australia’s first hotel by The Standard when it opens in Melbourne next February. The hospitality group, which already has seven locations around the world, including in New York, Miami, London, and Bangkok, will open in Fitzroy with 125 rooms, two venues, and a retail space.
A twist on the standard, well, The Standard, the hotel will take on a ‘The StandardX’ concept, described in a press release as “the rebellious younger sibling of The Standard” with “minimalist rooms, complemented by come-hither cultural programming”.
Crowne Plaza Melbourne CarltonÂ
Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton was originally set to open in 2021 and then in the final quarter of 2023, but all signs are now pointing to it finally launching in the third quarter of this year. The hotel will occupy the former Rydges on Swanston hotel in Carlton, housing 107 rooms, a 300-person meeting space, and a rooftop pool and bar. It’ll be operated by IHG Hotels and Resorts.
Shangri-La Melbourne
Five-star Shangri-La Melbourne on Exhibition doesn’t have a launch date yet, though it is said to open this year. The 51-level hotel will be joined by a neighbouring 59-level residential tower via a sky bridge on level 46, with both towers making up the skyscraper Sapphire by the Garden. Amenities will include high-end restaurants and bars, a grand ballroom, and health and wellness facilities.
1 Hotel Melbourne
Set on the Yarra River, 1 Hotel Melbourne doesn’t have an opening month yet, though it’ll likely launch at the end of the year. The hotel will follow the same sustainably focussed ethos as the other 1 Hotel properties in New York, London, and Hollywood. Substantial reclaimed and recycled materials will be used in its build, and plants and other natural elements will be weaved into its design.
In addition to 277 rooms, the hotel will also house a full-service wellness, rooftop retreat with private dining rooms, a library and a garden, and restaurants and a lobby bar.
Related: The Standard Hotel Is Ready to Give Australia’s Hotel Scene a Run for Its Money
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