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!
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Rachael Thompson is a freelance travel journalist. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love, Bed Threads and Australian Traveller/International Traveller. 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 is Lord Howe Island.
Oenophiles and novices alike will relish these top-tier wine experiences that go beyond the standard pour.
From the Mediterranean-climate McLaren Vale to the robust Hunter Valley, Australia’s trailblazing wine regions are renowned for producing some of the world’s best drops. A simple cellar door tasting can help you choose your next bottle to take home, but truly understanding the region’s unique terroir and viticultural mastery means engaging all of the senses.
Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia goes beyond the ordinary to offer the best activities to deepen your palate at the country’s most celebrated wineries. Whether it’s an art and wine lunch or horse riding among the vineyards, these experiences make for an unforgettable day out.
Culinary
Sip your way through Australia’s best winery experiences.
Epicureans are spoilt for choice with these fantastic gastronomic journeys.Explore Leeuwin Estate’s fine wine, food and commitment to the arts on their Seasonal Experience: Art, Wine & Farm to Fork tour.
Sample a line-up of cool-climate wines with The Art of Fine Wine and Gastronomy at Ten Minutes by Tractor on the Mornington Peninsula, before meandering through the rolling Gabrielle vineyard and feasting on a five-course tasting menu with matching wines.
Outdoors
Ride through the vines at Jacob’s Creek.
Nature enthusiasts can seamlessly pair their love for the outdoors with their love for wine on the Cape to Vine Day Trip – a guided walking tour along the pristine Margaret River cape which ends with a private tour, then a food and wine pairing at the area’s founding wine estate, Vasse Felix.
If your preferred mode of transport is on a trusted steed, the Vineyard Horse Ride and Tasting experience takes animal lovers on a 60-minute guided horse ride through the picturesque vineyards of Jacob’s Creek, followed by a tasting of their cellar door wines.
Blending
Unleash your inner winemaker.
Curious learners can step into the role of winemaker with a hands-on masterclass. The Master Blenders: Blend your own Muscat class in Rutherglen is perfect for sweet-toothed guests, expertly guided by a Stanton & Killeen host to craft their own personalised 500ml Muscat blend. Or a bubbly affair awaits in Launceston with The Art of Sparkling masterclass hosted by Josef Chromy Wines to create a personalised bottle of sparkling. The experience also includes a tasting of the estate’s table wines and a two-course lunch with wine pairings.
Overnight
Pair luxury stays with exceptional wines.
An overnight wine experience allows you to savour every last drop. Live la dolce vita in the King Valley with thePizzini Overnight Wine and Food Escape, a tutored wine tasting uncovering the delights of Italian food and wine pairings, followed by a four-course dinner with matching wines before bedding down at the charming Mountain View Hotel. For an ultra-luxe wine escape, make a beeline for Pemberton, where The Ampersand Estates Experience – A Marriage of Luxury & Nature offers discerning travellers a stay in a self-contained estate residence, with a private wine tasting and five-course degustation cooked by a chef exclusively for your group over an open-flame.
Culture
Experience the perfect pairing of art and wine.
The art of hospitality can be taken to new levels on a cultural and culinary wine journey. The Discover Pt. Leo Estate Lunch, Art & Wine Experience indulges with a 3-course meal showcasing Mornington Peninsula’s produce paired with Victorian wines, plus a walk through the state-of-the-art sculptural park backdropped by the 50-acre vineyard and ocean. The Love on Mount Pleasant guided discovery invites wine enthusiasts to admire the cellar door spaces adorned with works from renowned artists, including Garry Shead, Archibald Prize winner and nephew of Mount Pleasant’s founder, Maurice O’Shea. Sip through a tasting of eight elegant wines paired with local and international cheeses.
Meet the makers
Learn from the experts.
Who better to learn about wine from than the makers themselves? Join winemaker and vigneron Tom Ward on a private Immerse with Swinging Bridgetour of the Orange wine region. An informative morning is spent discovering the cool-climate vineyards used to create Swinging Bridge’s award-winning wines, before heading to the winery’s Hill Park Vineyard for a five-course degustation. And discover Queensland’s emerging wine scene with the Behind the Scenes Winery Tour and Premium Tasting, which takes visitors on a tour of Sirromet’s winery facility and a private tutored wine tasting of drops rarely available for sampling.
Helicopter experiences
Take your wine experience to new heights.
See things from a new perspective with an immersive, ultimate luxury wine adventure. Take to the skies on the Helicopter Tour & Blending Bench adventure, which includes a 30-minute scenic flight over McLaren Vale’s spectacular landscape before playing winemaker inside the d’Arenberg Cube to create your own blend from their unique bounty and exploring the building’s art-filled Alternate Realities Museum. Go behind the scenes of a working winery with the Helicopter Winery Tour and 4 course Lunch. Get picked up from your accommodation by a private chauffeur, then take to the skies via helicopter to Printhie Wines.
Heritage
Explore the past, one glass at a time.
History buffs and seasoned oenophiles will delight in discovering the liquid lore of an iconic Australian winery. Savour a 100-year-old tawny with Seppeltsfield’s Centennial Cellar Experience in the Barossa Valley and go on a tour of the Seppelt family homestead, built in 1851 and the underground blending cellar. And it would be remiss not to explore Australia’s most iconic winery, Penfolds in Magill Estate in South Australia, where The Penfolds Heritage Tour & Taste includes a walking tour through the original working winery, lush vineyard and underground drives and a cellar door tasting of their exceptional The Penfolds Collection and covetable Cellar Reserve range.
