W Hotels Worldwide has announced it is planning to to open a property in Melbourne, Australia, in 2020 as part of an ambitious and controversial mixed-use scheme.
The lifestyle hotel brand, now part of Marriott International, has partnered with real estate firms Daisho Development Melbourne and Cbus Property to open the W Melbourne within Collins Arch – the forthcoming mixed-use AU$1bn (US$765.5m, €713m, £613.5m) luxury development designed by SHoP Architects and Woods Bagot.
The hotel will feature interiors created by design studio Hachem, who have planned 294 spacious guestrooms, including 40 suites and an Extreme Wow Suite – the brand’s take on the traditional Presidential Suite. There will be a bar and restaurant, a branded AWAY spa, a workout facility, an indoor heated swimming pool and 13,000sq ft (1,200sq m) of conference, ballroom and meeting space.
The wider Collins Arch development, located on a 64,500sq ft (6,000sq m) city block, will be formed of two towers linked at the top by a residential bridge. These will house office, retail, leisure and commercial space and a tiered amphitheatre and gathering areas. It can be accessed from points across Melbourne’s William Street, Market Street and Collins Street, with the hotel lobby placed on Flinders Lane.
Construction on the towers began last October. The building has proven divisive due to its huge scale and relationship with the surrounding skyline. The architects altered the design several times to reduce the height, minimise shadowing over the Yarra River and appease Victorian Planning regulations. Several earlier iterations of the design were rejected, but a compromise was finally found after further revisions and an online petition titled ‘Save Melbourne’s future international icon and tens of thousands of construction jobs.’
“Melbourne, with its vibrant music, emerging fashion and bold street art, is a destination made for the W brand,” said Anthony Ingham, the company's global brand leader. “Located in the epicentre of the city, W Melbourne will embody the city’s creative spirit while showcasing the brand’s bold and energetic take on luxury.”
W Melbourne will be the brand’s second property in Australia, following W Brisbane, which is scheduled to open its doors in 2018. There are plans for 75 W hotels across the world by 2020.
