It’s 7pm on the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, and I’m standing on Albert Street, on the fringe of the Melbourne CBD, admiring the transformation of one of East Melbourne’s most beautiful old buildings.

In front of me is the triple-storey red brick and white trim facade of the 123-year-old former Salvation Army Printing Works. It’s now the grand entrance to a brand-new five-star luxury apartment hotel – the first in Australia by Hong Kong operator Lanson Place.