Green Is the New Gold: Inside Melbourne’s 1 Hotel, Where Nature and Luxury Redefine the Future
A Riverfront Revelation: Conscious Luxury Redefines Melbourne Hotels
In the luxury space, there’s a quiet revolution brewing. It’s not just about design anymore—it’s about intention. It’s about standing for something beyond aesthetics. And with its highly anticipated June 2025 debut, 1 Hotel Melbourne isn’t just opening its doors—it’s opening a new chapter in Australian hospitality.
Set along the Yarra River, in the cultural heart of Melbourne, 1 Hotel brings its signature ethos of sustainable luxury to the southern hemisphere for the first time. It's a statement of values wrapped in reclaimed timber, floor-to-ceiling glass, and more than 2,000 living plants.
Eco-Design Excellence: Setting a New Standard for Green Glamour
From the moment guests step through the lobby—crafted from salvaged local timber and anchored by a reception desk carved from fallen trees—they’ll know this isn’t just another high-end property. It’s a philosophy made tangible.
Born from the vision of Barry Sternlicht, the eco-conscious powerhouse behind the 1 Hotels brand, the Melbourne iteration is a collaboration with developer Riverlee that balances heritage with forward-thinking innovation. At its heart is Goods Shed No. 5—Melbourne’s last unrenovated port shed—now seamlessly woven into the hotel’s design, preserving the past while crafting the future.
More than a façade, the design tells a story. Asymmetrical windows mirror the Yarra’s shifting surface. Reclaimed steel, bluestone, and timbers from decommissioned rail bridges form a patchwork of texture and memory. It’s luxury with layers—each one grounded in place, history, and purpose.
Sustainable Stays: Tranquility Meets Eco-Innovation in Every Room
With 277 rooms and 36 elevated suites, the accommodations at 1 Hotel Melbourne offer more than rest—they offer reflection. Natural light floods in through vast glass walls, illuminating interiors defined by low-VOC finishes, preserved moss accents, and live-edge wood furniture sourced from Australia’s own industrial past.
Room numbers are etched into salvaged wharf timber. Bedheads are constructed from railway bridges. There’s a sense of poetry here, a reverence for the materials that tell Australia’s story.
Wellness touches—from Bamford Spa amenities to organic linens—elevate the guest experience without compromise. This is quiet luxury at its most intentional: less excess, more essence.
Farm-to-Table Flavor: Dining That Honors Victoria’s Bounty
Food here does more than nourish. It speaks to the land.
The hotel’s yet-to-be-revealed signature restaurant will spotlight hyper-seasonal ingredients sourced from Victoria’s leading farmers, fishers, and artisan producers. In the lobby bar, guests can sip botanical cocktails or boutique Victorian wines while looking out over the river—nature, design, and flavor all converging in one moment of indulgence.
A grab-and-go café offers organic bites and curated local goods for guests on the move, while the Seafarers Event Space—spanning a full 1,000 square meters—hosts everything from fashion events to weddings in a lush, light-drenched setting.
Conscious Wellness: Where Health, Harmony, and Sustainability Meet
Luxury and wellness now go hand in hand. At 1 Hotel Melbourne, the Field House Gym brings this ethos to life with elite equipment, personal training, and a program rooted in balance—from strength training to guided meditation.
Guests can unwind in the hotel’s serene indoor pool, steam room, or sauna, or retreat to the Bamford Wellness Spa—a sensory journey that blends local therapeutic traditions with the global standard for conscious living.
Every detail—from water-efficient fixtures to advanced air purification—reflects the brand’s deep respect for both guest wellbeing and the health of the planet.
Conscious Wellness: Where Health, Harmony, and Sustainability Meet
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of 1 Hotel Melbourne is how it connects city and nature. Nestled beside a 3,500-square-meter park filled with native flora and located just steps from the world’s largest tram network, guests are perfectly positioned to explore Melbourne at their own pace—whether that means a riverside jog, a gallery crawl, or a night at the nearby theaters.
The hotel becomes both a retreat and a launchpad. A place to disconnect—and reconnect.
Redefining Five-Star Hospitality: The Future of Sustainable Luxury
In a hospitality landscape saturated with sameness, 1 Hotel Melbourne dares to be different. It doesn't whisper opulence—it grows it. It doesn't just offer amenities—it curates meaning. This is not just where you stay—it's where you arrive.
For travelers seeking a conscious alternative to conventional five-star stays, 1 Hotel Melbourne is the future made tangible. A space where sustainability isn’t a footnote but the foundation. Where design honors both heritage and habitat. And where luxury finally aligns with the values of a world waking up.