The global hotel brands making their Aussie debuts in 2025

From a new benchmark for luxury on the Gold Coast to a hip neighbourhood haunt in Perth and a sustainable sanctuary taking root in Melbourne, you need to know about these international hotel brands making their Aussie debut.   

Flashback to 2019, and the biggest hotel news in the country was the opening of Ritz-Carlton, Perth, a re-entry into Australia for the luxury brand after 25 years. In the five years since, even a global pandemic couldn’t stop the tide of international hotel brands also making their Aussie debut. Hotel Indigo launched in Adelaide in 2021 and in 2022 and 2023, Ace Hotel, Kimpton and Capella shook up the scene in Sydney.  

Exterior of Ritz Carlton Perth — The launch of the Ritz-Carlton at Elizabeth Quay was one of the buzziest hotel openings in recent times.

Handwritten Collection, which launched globally in 2023, has made its mark in Australia with Hotel Morris Sydney, Wonil Hotel Perth and Hotel Woolstore 1888 Sydney.

And 2024 saw the Melbourne openings of design-led Le Méridien; StandardX, the first Aussie outpost of the hip Standard Hotel group; and Lanson Place Parliament Gardens, housed in a historic East Melbourne building. 

In a vote of confidence for our world-class cities, there’s plenty more on the horizon too. Here’s what global hotel brands to watch out for when they land in Australia in 2025 (and beyond). 

Mondrian Gold Coast 

Mondrian Hotel in Gold Coast — Mondrian Gold Coast will be *the* hotel opening of 2025.

We’re calling it – this is going to be the hotel opening of the year. With a slated opening date of early 2025, all eyes will be on Burleigh Heads for the debut of the first Mondrian hotel in Australia.  

A boutique brand from fast-growing lifestyle hospitality company Ennismore, in a joint venture with Accor, Mondrian is known for its architectural and forward-thinking properties that sit at the cultural heart of destinations around the world from Miami to Ibiza.  

Mondrian Gold Coast is designed by leading Australian architects Fraser & Partners and will deliver a new level of luxury hospitality to one of the country’s favourite beach destinations. Unfolding over 24 storeys, it will also be a flagship for the brand with 208 design-led rooms and suites that drink in views of the Pacific Ocean. 

The sleek design – which includes two- and three-bedroom Beach Houses and the spectacular Sky House crowning the hotel – comes courtesy of award-winning Studio Carter and takes its cues from sugar-white sands and a pandanus-spiked coastline.  

And we can expect the food and beverage offering to be on point too, with restaurant and bar concepts that promise to harness the region’s local produce and vibe with the Burleigh social scene. 

1 Hotel Melbourne 

One of the world’s most sustainable luxury hotel brands, 1 Hotels is making its Australian debut in Melbourne in 2025. Set to open in May, 1 Hotel Melbourne will tread a light footprint on the banks of the Yarra River. Its 277 guest rooms, 114 residences and multiple dining options are all underscored by a sustainable, biophilic design that connects guests back to nature.  

A highlight of a stay here will be the brand’s curated Happenings programs, which will invite guests to get to know Melbourne through a 1 Hotels lens focused on art, nature and wellbeing. 

Its low-density location in the revitalised North Wharf Precinct is a deliberate choice, as is its position on the CBD free tram line; 1 Hotels around the world encourage guests to walk or take public transport to explore the places they’re located in.  

Launched in 2015, 1 Hotels is a mission-driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand that has grown its portfolio outside of its native North America to encompass properties in the UK, Denmark, Greece, France, China and now Australia. Each stay is inspired by its natural environment and rooted in the local community.  

25hours Hotel The Olympia 

25 hours hotel in Paddington — 25hours’ shiny new gem reinterprets the building’s cinema history.

25hours Hotel The Olympia is set to open in June 2025. It will be Australia’s first 25hours Hotel and bolsters Sydney’s blooming boutique hotel scene. 

Also part of the Ennismore stable, 25hours Hotels pride themselves on their individualism and, from Berlin to Florence, are shaped by the art, culture and gastronomy of their surrounds. The new Paddington property is no exception, billing itself as a place for cinema lovers where the aesthetic pays tribute to the building’s origins as a picture theatre. 

Expect 109 guest rooms, including three concept suites, each with bespoke artwork by Sydney artist Kubi Vasak. There will be four standout wining and dining venues too, including Monica, a rooftop bar to add to your list of places to go for sky-high libations.  

Hyde Perth  

Hyde Bodrum lobby area — Hyde recently made its Turkish debut with the opening of Hyde Bodrum.

From Bodrum to Johannesburg, Hyde’s global properties are rooted in music culture.  And the bohemian Ennismore brand is landing in Perth in late 2025 – a city that has birthed some of Australia’s greatest bands, from The Triffids to Tame Impala.  

The 120-guest room property will be located in the heart of the CBD on Pier Street, complete with a destination restaurant and bar, and a buzzing cafe that opens out to a tropics-inspired outdoor pool. Dedicated entertainment spaces will come to life with a curated music program in keeping with Hyde’s festival vibe.  

The Hoxton 

The Hoxton’s series of hotels grounded in culture and community originated in London’s trendy Shoreditch neighbourhood in 2006.  

Slated for a 2027 opening, Ennismore has announced the signing of The Hoxton in Melbourne’s historic Cremorne suburb, today a melting pot for creativity and innovation.

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Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

walking trails in the Yarra Valley — You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy — Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy — A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate — Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

kangaroos in Yarra Valley — Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

the Yarra Valley vineyards — Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway — The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

Playing there

the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley — Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

Eating and drinking there

Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station — The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)