Crystalbrook Aurora, Canberra is set to redefine the city’s hospitality scene.
Canberra has long needed a new luxury hotel to elevate its hospitality scene. And leading sustainably-led luxury hospitality company Crystalbrook Collection promises to fill that gap with Crystalbrook Aurora, Canberra.
With 225 rooms and suites, several restaurants and bars, luxury retail offerings and a wellness precinct, this contemporary hotel will bring world-class sophistication to the nation’s capital.
The building’s facade will reflect the nearby parliamentary buildings.
Named after one of the proposed names for the city, the accommodation is both an homage to Canberra’s beginnings and an embrace of its contemporary spirit – inspired by the idea of a new dawn.
“Crystalbrook Aurora’s identity reveal and development progress marks an exciting next chapter in our Canberra journey. This project reflects our commitment to investing in high-growth, culturally significant locations and delivering properties that reflect the future of responsible luxury," shared Ghassan Aboud, Founder of Crystalbrook Collection.
Rooms and suites will be swathed in chic neutral tones.
The modern 10-storey building takes cues from Canberra’s architectural heritage and civic style. A curved facade will draw parallels to nearby parliamentary buildings, while the interiors will pay homage to Marion Mahony Griffin, a pioneering architect who significantly contributed to the design of Canberra. Mahoney’s designs emphasised harmony between buildings and nature, which is to be reflected in the building’s light-filled central skylight atrium and generous use of greenery.
Rooms and suites will be sleek and spacious with timeless appeal. Bathed in natural light and swathed in calming neutral tones and natural textures, they are set to offer an inviting atmosphere for relaxation and comfort.
The hotel will house multiple restaurants and bars.
Multiple dining facilities, including a modern European rooftop restaurant, will further add to Canberra’s thriving foodie scene. In line with the rise of wellness travel, the hotel will feature a dedicated wellness precinct with Crystalbrook’s signature Eléme Day Spa, a sauna, pool and gym facilities. The site will also house luxury retail offerings, flexible meeting and event spaces.
Crystalbrook Aurora, Canberra is slated to open in 2027 on Bunda Street in the city centre. Stayed tuned!
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and a self-proclaimed cheese and Chablis connoisseur. In her role, she creates and manages online content that remains relevant and valuable over time. With a background in publishing and e-commerce in both interior design and travel, Rachael is dedicated to curating engaging content that informs and inspires. She began her career at Belle magazine, then went on to become Senior Content Producer at Homes to Love focusing on Australian House & Garden and Belle, followed by Editor at Bed Threads. Her work has also appeared in Qantas Travel Insider. When she's not writing, editing, or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list are Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Lord Howe Island.
From the Kimberley to Cape York, explore Australia’s epic and varied landscapes on curated and all-inclusive, intimate adventures via custom-built all-terrain coaches with Outback Spirit.
From the tip of the Northern Territory to the rugged coast of the country’s southernmost point, Australia is a continent ripe with diverse and distinct adventures that are captivating and inspiring in equal measure. Luckily, so many of them are accessible by car with epic road trips that showcase the journey as much as the destination. With Outback Spirit, the award-winning and eco-certified tour operator from leading experiential tourism group Journey Beyond, the road less travelled – accessible in custom-built all-terrain coaches chaperoned by expert local guides – is the only way to go.
From the dramatic jewels of the Kimberley in Western Australia to the remote stretches of Savannah Way in the country’s far north, Outback Spirit does all the hard work on all-inclusive, small-group tours that pause at an exclusive network of lodges and safari camps – so you can just enjoy the ride.
1. The Kimberley
With an otherworldly ambience that must be experienced to be understood, the Kimberley is a cornucopia of breathtaking cliffs, stunning gorges and exceptional waterways. A highlight of the 13-day Jewels of the Kimberley adventure is the spectacular 18-minute scenic helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles. You’ll encounter a bounty of new perspectives elsewhere, too, between the astounding cruise through the Attenborough-approved Buccaneer Archipelago, humbling walks beneath ancient rock drawings, and evenings spent in the comfort of Outback Spirit’s exclusive-use, well-appointed Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.
Relax in Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.
2. Arnhem Land
The Traditional Lands of the Yolngu People reach into your heart and stay there. Outback Spirit’s 13-day Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife tour was conceived in extensive consultation with Traditional Owners to guarantee a true immersion in Country. Explore the world’s largest outdoor rock art gallery; try your luck catching a metre-long barramundi; and discover pristine ecosystems from freshwater swamps to rocky escarpments. Relax each night in comfortable lodges exclusive to Outback Spirit, including the iconic Seven Spirit Bay Resort. Here, sophisticated luxury villas are perched on the bay’s edge overlooking clear, turquoise waters of Coral Bay.
Enjoy the views at Seven Spirit Bay Resort.
3. Cape York
Travelling from Cairns to Cape York and back over 13 days, the small-group Cape York Wilderness Adventure tour runs from May to September, with unparalleled access to stunning sacred destinations and vibrant experiences on Thursday, Horn and Friday islands in the Torres Strait. The World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest is a star of the expedition, with the exclusive guided Dreamtime Gorge Walk with a Kuku Yulanji elder taking place beneath lush ferns, with the commanding rumble of Mossman Gorge in the distance.
Join the Dreamtime Gorge Walk. (Image: TEQ)
4. Margaret River
The nine-day Margaret River & Rottnest Discovery highlights fine wine, great food, art, music and local produce at Leeuwin Estate on the vineyard-packed banks of the Margaret River, pausing to explore the ancient underground caves and towering Karri timber forests. Start the journey with a ride on the iconic Indian Pacific and pop to Rottnest Island on the tail-end of the trip, with 10,000 quokkas to befriend and 63 gorgeous beaches to explore before lunch. With bubbles included, of course.
Treat your tastebuds at Leeuwin Estate. (Image: Tourism WA)
5. Savannah Way
On this 15-day Leichhardt’s Savannah Expedition , Outback Spirit’s custom all-terrain Mercedes-Benz coaches cross two states from Cairns to Darwin. After visiting the most northerly camp of the Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860/61 and visiting the see-it-to-believe-it Millaa Millaa Falls (refreshing swim optional!), you’ll indulge in three nights at the million-acre Lorella Springs Station, a sunset dinner cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria and a dip in warmed thermal pools in the middle of the wilderness.
Dive into Millaa Millaa Falls. (Image: TEQ)
6. Central Australia
The captivating splendour of Uluru is the central focus of the eight-day Red Centre Explorer tour, which includes Alice Springs and Kings Canyon among its stops. Hosted on the sacred lands of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Anangu, this itinerary is grounded in the landscape, with visits to the critically acclaimed Field of Light installation, a multi-course dinner under the stars at Ayers Rock Resort, and a didgeridoo performance to accompany bush-tucker-packed snacks all within the shadow of the sacred geological site. Awaken early for a sunrise over the pindan plateau, the image of which will remain in your memory for a lifetime to come.
Marvel at the Field of Light installation (Image: Tourism NT/ Lola and Jira/ Uluru Kata-Tjuta NP)
7. Flinders Ranges
The remote South Australian landscape is your playground on the 11-day Outback South Australia tour, which takes in the sights (including Wilpena Pound and beloved Lake Eyre), sounds and flavours of the ‘festival’ state. At Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, cosmos chasers will enjoy a tour of the stars at the accredited onsite astronomical observatory as endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies bounce in the dark. The next day, guests will take to open-air 4WDs with expert guides for the Ridgetop Tour to explore the breathtaking, unique 1600-million-year-old landscape within the Flinders Ranges.
See the impressive Wilpena Pound. (Image: Emile Ristevski)
8. Tasmania
Take in stunning views from Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (or, afterwards, from the comfort of Cradle Mountain Lodge) on the 12-day curated Tasmanian Wilderness Explorer itinerary. Taste the incredible food on Bruny Island and wander Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. Traverse the glacial-formed Dove Lake on a 5.7-kilometre hike; soak up sombre history at Port Arthur; and pose with penguins in Penguin before settling in for the night at Outback Spirit’s suite of exclusive partner lodges.
See the spectacular Wineglass Bay. (Image: Chad Dewson)
Find your Outback Spirit with the 2026 season. Book now to receive Earlybird savings up to $2200 per person at outbackspirittours.com.au .
