Australia Hotels
Australia’s best new hotels for design lovers
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Ardour Milton Park Bowral | Credit: Ardour Hotels & Estates
From Sydney and Melbourne to Kangaroo Island and the South Australian ‘savannah’, these standout new and renewed Australian stays put architecture, interiors and a strong sense of place at the heart of the experience
When it comes to Australia’s luxury hotel narrative, international brands and large developments have long played the leading role. But that story is shifting with many of the country’s most interesting stays driven by design rather than scale.
From bold architectural statements to thoughtfully curated interiors, these hotels are redefining what luxury can look and feel like. While scope and scale may vary, the focus of these hotels is shared: a genuine sense of style and commitment to individuality.
Here, the recent wave of openings and relaunches helping drive Australia’s design-led hotel movement.
The EVE Hotel, Sydney
In Sydney’s creative fringe, set within the Wunderlich Lane precinct, The EVE Hotel invites guests to sink into local life. The 102-room property, unveiled last year, draws its energy from the artists, the makers and the late-night buzz of its locale at the crossroads of Redfern and Surry Hills. Spaces are shaped by earthy, textural elements with custom sculptural lighting, white glazed breezeblocks and lush greenery, creating a layered interplay of light, materiality and volume. And above it all, the rooftop, complete with pool, bar and skyline views opening the hotel back into the neighbourhood.
W Sydney
A sculptural presence on Darling Harbour, W Sydney brings high-energy design to the famous waterfront. Designed by architectural firm Hassell, the hotel’s curvaceous form is a bold first impression, setting the tone for playful interiors by London-based Bowler James Brindley. Bursts of colour, sleek reflective surfaces and fluid lines greet guests in the lobby, a space conceived as a social hub, while the 588 rooms and suites hero nautical-chic — more aqueous forms, layered blues, crisp white — a nod to the waterfront location and the city’s idyllic beaches. The motif stretches to the yacht-inspired cocktail bar on the 30th floor, one of W Sydney’s four dining and bar venues, all of which reinforce the hotel’s energetic direction.
1 Hotel Melbourne
A bona fide urban sanctuary, 1 Hotel Melbourne transforms the city’s historic Seafarers wharf into an immersive, nature-led retreat. Centred around the heritage Goods Shed No. 5, the design honours its maritime past through the reuse of original materials — bluestone, steel trusses, timber and salvaged relics — layered with the brand’s signature biophilic approach, which, for this project, draws logically on Victoria’s wild coastlines and forested ranges. Reclaimed timber is a defining thread, plants (on plants on plants) soften the industrial framework and thoughtful details that celebrate the patina of life. The property, which opened last year, is Australia’s first incarnation of 1 Hotels, the mission-driven luxury lifestyle brand that first launched in Miami’s South Beach in 2015.
Mondrian, Gold Coast
Another 2025 opening, Mondrian Gold Coast is a dazzling design-forward property just steps from the sun-kissed sand of Burleigh Beach on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Designed by leading Australian architects Fraser & Partners, with room interiors by California’s Studio Carter, the polished 208-key property sets a new benchmark in a city where high-rise apartments abound. Its twin towers glitter under the ever-present coastal rays while inside, the landscape is expressed through design choices that hero tactility, confident, sculptural forms and earthy hues. On Level 3, Haven Pool Club boasts its own place-to-be-seen scene, perfect for languid afternoons in the salt-laced air.
Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island
It’s new, and it’s not. Southern Ocean Lodge reopened in 2023 having been rebuilt from the ashes of the 2020 bushfires. The $55-million resurrection stays predominantly true to the initial masterpiece, which was widely lauded for working in striking harmony with the landscape. Kangaroo Island-born architect Max Pritchard was invited to revisit his original 2008 design, while bespoke commissions from local artists and designers feature throughout. The new incarnation has evolved in places, including a careful repositioning of the 25 suites, affording each a wide coastal view without compromising on privacy.
The Lodges at Bells at Killcare, NSW Central Coast
An extension of the much-loved Bells at Killcare, The Lodges launched in 2024 and offer a more private, immersive take on the property’s signature coastal retreat. The four architecturally designed lodges forego Bells’ Hamptons-inspired décor in favour of a calm, contemporary palette blended with natural materials – timber, leather, stone – and cosy tactile finishes. Expansive, light-filled indoor spaces spill onto outdoor decks, creating various spaces for reconnection…to others and to self.
Ardour Milton Park Bowral
A multi-million-dollar refit has transformed this Southern Highlands icon, relaunched in 2026 as Ardour Milton Park Bowral. Long cherished as Milton Park Country House Hotel & Spa, the redesigned 44-room retreat is the inaugural property of Ardour Hotels & Estates, a new luxury brand from Salter Brothers Hospitality. Set within the same immaculate cool-climate gardens, the property has been refreshed to celebrate its heritage (original stone façades and timber details remain) while introducing a modern approach with layered textures, artisanal finishes and a palette that leans into colour – sage green, soft pink, cobalt – without overwhelming the senses.
worldsapart.club/ardour/miltonpark
25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia
25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia is a striking new addition to Oxford Street that pays playful tribute to its cinematic past. Housed within the restored Edwardian façade of Sydney’s historic West’s Olympia Theatre, the 109-room property is the first in Australia by 25hours Hotels. Design draws on film lore and art‑house energy, delivering a personality-packed stay without losing the sense of luxury. Rooms are divided into two distinct personas – whimsical Dreamer suites and the moodier Renegade spaces – and feature exclusive works by Sydney-based artist Kubi Vasak.
Monarto Safari Resort, SA
It was a long time coming, but Monarto Safari Resort last year delivered on its promise of luxe stay within the largest open-range safari experience available outside Africa. Developed by Journey Beyond, the resort features 78 rooms and suites overlooking Monarto Safari Park’s sweeping savannah, while the 20-tent luxury Safari Lodge opened this month. Indoors, sun-bleached neutrals sit alongside sage and clay tones to allow the expansive grassland views to take centre stage, while large windows and open-air decks create a seamless connection between inside and out. As well as a deluxe spa, there is an on-site soak house, complete with a hydrotherapy pool, cold plungeand dry cedarwood sauna.
Hannah St Hotel, Melbourne
With Hannah St Hotel, which opened in January, the goal was to “create a sense of place, comfort and continuity”, according to David Flack, Founder and Principal of Flack Studio. Mission accomplished. The Southbank property is a design-led expression of Melbourne’s creative identity, combining bold materiality and a confident palette with considered art and bespoke furnishings. Each of the hotel’s 188 is uniquely styled to create spaces that feel at once lived in and inspired. The art program, comprising statement pieces through to understated treasures, puts female artists (Justene Williams, Mikala Dwyer, Jazz Money and many more) in the spotlight.
Capella Sydney
Capella Sydney balances preservation with contemporary intervention to create an atmosphere of considered elegance. Set within the restored heritage shell of the former Department of Education building in Circular Quay, the Gold List Award-winning property is the first in Australia for the Capella Hotel Group, and has been a widely celebrated debut. The design team of Bar Studio, Make Architects and stylist Simone Haag combined to deliver a genuine urban sanctuary, where luxe natural materials, a neutral palette and bespoke furnishings sit neatly alongside grand original details.
Bronze accents, layered stonework and timber finishes connect old and new, while curated sightlines draw the sandstone cityscape into view. Capella’s 192 guestrooms and suites adapt to the building’s irregular fenestration through creative framing devices, while custom joinery, sculptural lighting and spa-like bathrooms expand on the refinement.
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