These game-changing Aussie hotels are something special

This pair of homegrown lodgings are flying the flag for outstanding Australian design.

After two recent stays in Melbourne and Sydney I think it’s fair to say that Australian hotels have come of age. The Eve Hotel Sydney and Melbourne Place could stand their ground anywhere in the world but shine brightest here, reflecting the confidence, creativity and distinctive character of their home cities. In a sea of foreign-owned chain hotels, it’s so good to see these two flying the flag for outstanding Australian design.

Of the two, The Eve is the bigger surprise. Built on the site of the once notorious Redfern shopping centre (nicknamed “murder mall” by locals), it’s the main attraction of an entire new precinct – Wunderlich Lane – that’s the hottest place to be in Sydney right now.

The 102-room hotel is stunning from top to toe. Street entries are clad in gleaming burgundy tiles; beyond lies the lobby lined with head-turning art and designer furnishings, a serene, cloistered passageway in pure white, and four floors of rooms ranging in size from 27sqm to the price-on-application Eve Suite with its marble-clad kitchen bar and expansive terraces. Lush gardens and greenery are a feature of the hotel, a deliberate nod by its architects to the nursery and parklands that defined this site for much of the 19th century.

There’s a boldness to the ideas at The Eve. At street-level Bar Julius, Louise Olsen’s painting Still Life has been printed on vinyl and stretched over an illuminated, triple-barrelled ceiling to striking effect, and the walls are hung with an eclectic art collection including a stark photograph of QEII with her eyes closed and a 17th-century Belgian portrait of a young man in ruff and robes. A bit bonkers but it works.

The 102-rooms hotel is stunning from top to toe. Picture: George Roske (The Eve/Supplied).

Likewise the sexy rooftop pool with its palms and cabanas and cool music piped underwater; and Lottie, the lively Mexican restaurant and bar where roof and windows retract for al fresco fiestas on balmy nights.Less showy but still noteworthy touches include the filtered water stations on each floor, and guest corridors that open to Sydney’s subtropical climate and a soundtrack of parrots and cicadas, giving residents a vivid sense of place.

By the time The Eve opened in mid-February, Wunderlich Lane had already turned Sydney’s head to this happening pocket of Redfern with its dynamic dining options – modern Greek at Olympus, Southeast Asian and DJ beats at Island Radio and really excellent pizzas at Regina – and late-night carousing at Baptist Street Rec Club. The entire precinct feels fresh and happening and so Sydney.

Lush gardens and greenery are a feature of the hotel, a deliberate nod by its architects to the nursery and parklands that defined this site for much of the 19th century. Picture: The Eve/Supplied.

Melbourne Place was also buzzing when I visited in January, just weeks after it opened. The buzz might have been partly due to the Australian Open (Italy’s number-two men’s player, Lorenzo Musetti, was in the house during my stay) but there’s also genuine excitement about the hotel.

If it were possible to capture Melbourne’s character in a single site it would look a lot like this. Clad in brick and Corten steel, its 14-storey tower feels right at home on busy Russell Street. Inside, every surface and fitting showcases the craftmanship of local creatives.

The sexy rooftop pool has palms, cabanas and cool music piped underwater. Picture: The Eve/Supplied.

The compact foyer sets the mood with its custom brickwork, warm jarrah, Australian terrazzo and looping video art by five creators including South Sudanese-born Atong Atem, whose film Banksia traces the history of African migration to Australia.

The 191 rooms and suites include a 14th-floor penthouse with baby grand piano (why not?) and terraced Horizon suites in desert tones of red, pink and orange, including the terrazzo flooring and bathtubs. Furnishings are the best in local design including Jardan beds and seating, custom-made Cadrys rugs and lighting by Volker Haug. Nothing is incidental – each fitting, texture and amenity feels like a considered piece in the Melbourne Place story.

The 191 rooms and suites include a 14th-floor penthouse with baby grand piano. Picture: Melbourne Place/Supplied.

Dining-wise, ground-floor Marmelo is a Portuguese restaurant and bar where Iberian favourites are given a local twist, such as croquettes made with Murray rather than Atlantic cod, and a keen drinks list of Quince Martinis and Douro Valley wines.

This being Melbourne, there’s a basement laneway bar, Mr Mills, as well as a rooftop bar and restaurant called Mid Air. Judging by the queues of young hopefuls hovering in the lift well, it’s the latest place to be seen in town – as much for its dramatic brick walls with cut-out “eyes” that look over the city as for its Med-leaning menu and moonlit soirées.

This being Melbourne, there’s a rooftop bar and restaurant called Mid Air. Picture: Kristoffer Paulsen (Melbourne Place/Supplied).

Given my job consists largely of staying in hotels it takes something special for a property to linger in the consciousness afterwards. The Eve and Melbourne Place are both still firmly, and fondly, front of mind.

The going rates

Homegrown luxury comes at a price. Room rates at The Eve start at $549 a night, while a bed at Melbourne Place starts from a more reasonable $300 but tops out at $5000 a night for the penthouse.

Kendall Hill was a guest of Melbourne Place and The Eve Hotel Sydney.

Originally published as These game-changing Aussie hotels are something special