A divine new stay has arrived in Melbourne amidst the biggest arts evolution Australia has ever seen.
Melbourne has always pushed the envelope, constantly evolving into new iterations of itself while somehow remaining deeply tethered to its roots. The opening of Hannah St Hotel in Southbank is a testament to this enduring hallmark, adding fresh energy to one of the city’s fastest-evolving neighbourhoods defined by its culture and creativity.
Hannah St Hotel debuts in Southbank
Hannah St Hotel is the latest stay to pop up in Southbank.
Set to open its doors this summer, Hannah St Hotel is the latest design-led stay to join Melbourne’s iconic hotel scene. It may seem a tricky market to break into, but no expense has been spared – and it shows. Designed by Fraser & Partners with interiors by Melbourne-based Flack Studio , the $150 million project blends design and experience in a way the city hasn’t seen before. It’s more than just a place to rest your head; it’s a cultural hub that allows guests to experience Melbourne without even having to step outside.
Local artist Justene Williams’ Mirror Sheila sculpture watches over the hotel foyer.
One of the most significant ways the hotel brings the city to life is through art. The walls are adorned with works by local artists, from bespoke bronze sculptures by Joelle Mayberry to Jazz Money’s custom poem, These Infinite Beginnings, which manifests itself as light and sound throughout the building.
“The hotel’s artworks are as layered and diverse as the materials in the building," says David Flack, founder and director of Flack Studio. “Each piece speaks to Melbourne’s energy, its creativity and its urban pulse – so guests feel the city as soon as they walk in."
The hotel's interiors were designed by Melbourne-based practice Flack Studio.
Sleek design and bold furnishings complete each guestroom.
This creative energy bleeds into Hannah St’s 188 guestrooms, where stylish design and innovative tech meet custom-made furniture and modern amenities. Think king-size beds, luxurious en suite bathrooms, coffee machines, minibars, writer’s desks, plush robes and windows that hero Melbourne’s dazzling skyline.
Beyond the bedroom, guests can enjoy a 20-metre lap pool, gym, private and communal workspace, steam room, sauna, rooftop bar and on-site cafe. But Hannah St takes it even further with a range of tailored experiences that champion the city it calls home.
Weekly travel news, experiences insider tips, offers, and more.
Guests of Hannah St Hotel have access to a luxurious 20-metre lap pool.
The rooftop garden terrace is the perfect spot for evening cocktails.
“As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, ‘Live Like a Local’ experiences will continue to shape the most interesting hotels," says Peter Minatis. “From curated art and hidden experiences to playful touches – whether it’s recording in our onsite podcast studio, sipping a spritz in the Parisian-inspired terrace that nods to the city’s garden culture – our next cultural flex is always around the corner."
A hotel shaped by its surroundings
Hannah St’s coveted location is no mistake – much like the new hotel, Southbank is a hub of art and culture, where the city’s creative spirit takes centre stage. It’s home to some of the city’s best restaurants, music venues, shopping experiences and, most notably, the Melbourne Arts Precinct .
The $1.7 billion revitalisation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct is due for completion in 2028.
The complex is currently undergoing a $1.7 billion transformation, the biggest of its kind in Australian history. Upon completion in 2028, it will rival some of the world’s most iconic galleries and museums, with the capacity to house over 5000 exhibitions and shows across 70 different venues each year, all within half a kilometre of each other.
While city stalwarts like the NGV and State Theatre will receive extensive renovations, there will also be a number of new builds, from The Fox: NGV Contemporary to Laak Boorndap, an 18,000-square-kilometre garden containing 450+ different plant species. And the new Hannah St Hotel? Well, that’s right around the corner.
More than 450 plant species will be grown across Laak Boorndap.
“This isn’t just a place to stay. It’s a guide, a tastemaker, a backstage pass to Melbourne’s creative soul," says Peter Minatis. “We want our guests to discover the city by living like a local, exploring hidden gems, experiencing art and music off the beaten track, and immersing themselves in the very pulse that makes Melbourne unique."
What to know
Hannah St Hotel is officially opening in December 2025, with an exact date soon to be confirmed. There are several room types available to suit specific guest needs, from wheelchair friendly suites to interconnecting rooms. All public spaces, including the pool, are accessible.
There are several accessible rooms available at Hannah St Hotel.
Situated in the heart of Southbank, Hannah St is easy to reach. An Uber or taxi will have you there in just 35 minutes from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. Those driving can park onsite using the hotel’s valet service for $75 per night.
If you’re using public transport, catch the express SkyBus from the airport into the CBD. Its Melbourne City Express Route drops passengers at Southern Cross Station, where you can catch a tram to Southbank. The Casino East/Queens Bridge St and Clarendon St/Whiteman St stops are both just a 10-minute walk away.
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.
It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.
Bells Beach is known for its epic surf break and is at the start of the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet
The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.
The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)
After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.
This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.
Lorne to Birregurra
Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.
Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.
From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.
Erskine Falls is one of many falls within a day trip of Lorne. (Image: Visit Victoria)
You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.
Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Apollo Bay to The Otways
Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.
A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.
Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles
One of the famous Twelve Apostles, limestone sea stacks that rise from the Southern Ocean. (Image: Ben Savage)
The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.
It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.
The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)
Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.
Port Campbell to Timboon
Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)
Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.
Warrnambool to Port Fairy
A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)
In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.
Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.
The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
The Oak & Anchor in Port Fairy.
The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River.Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.
The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.
Eating there
The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.
Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.
