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.  

Big players, big stays! These global hotel brands are bringing a touch of international luxury to Australian shores.

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.

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

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Australian Traveller (@austtraveller)

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.