Whether you’re planning a trip to Australia this year or next, these are some of the top new hotel openings and anticipated hotels launching in 2022 and 2023.
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Ace Hotel – Sydney, New South Wales
Opening just a couple of weeks ago (May 18, 2022), the Ace Hotel Sydney marks Ace’s very first home in the Southern Hemisphere. Nestled in Surry Hills, Ace Hotel Sydney is a sweeping reimagination of a historical location. With 257 incredible guest rooms and a variety of suites, there is a room for every type of holiday. The hotel also offers a range of dining options, including ground-floor restaurant, LOAM; craft cocktails, wine and beers at Lobby Bar; day-to-night cafe and bar, Good Chemistry; and the acclaimed, genre-bending restaurant Kiln, located 18 stories above Ace and helmed by Chef-Partner Mitch Orr.
Finniss River Lodge – near Darwin, Northern Territory
Perched on the edge of a vast floodplain, the newly opened Finniss River Lodge is located just a 90 minute drive or 20 minute private charter flight south west of Darwin. Boasting one of Australia’s most exciting chefs, Travis Crane, guests will experience dining that heroes the highest quality and most seasonal produce native to the region. For guests looking for a relaxing escape, luxurious suites and amenities fill the venue, along with an inviting wet-edge pool, all offering expansive views out over the surrounding floodplain and fiery sunsets. Otherwise, for those wanting to explore the region, there are a range of immersive experiences led by highly trained guides, including air boating, on-property four-wheel drive or open buggy tours, heli-fishing and cultural learning with Indigenous guide, Tess Aite.
The Tasman Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania.
The Tasman – Hobart, Tasmania
The Tasman Hotel in Hobart’s city centre is the Marriott Luxury Collection brand’s first in Australia. Located in Parliament Square just a six-minute walk from Hobart’s city centre, the hotel features 152 rooms and suites with carefully restored features and Georgian and Art-Deco design elements throughout. The hotel also houses a range of premium dining options, including a lobby lounge, whisky bar and signature Italian restaurant in partnership with Chef Massimo Mele. With a range of stylish rooms available, there is something for every kind of traveller looking for a truly memorable experience.
Sequoia at Mount Lofty House – Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Located within an hour of Adelaide’s International Airport in the ambient Adelaide Hills, Sequoia houses 14 sustainably designed suites each with unrivalled panoramic views of the city and picturesque surrounding region. The state-of-the-art lodge, situated on the sprawling Mount Lofty Estate, features spring-fed stone hot pools, an infinity pool, day spa Australia’s latest luxe stays: The top new and upcoming hotels for an indulgent holiday across the Tasman and valley rim campfire amphitheatre. Sequoia has an on-site team of local Experience Hosts who guide guests through activities themed around the lodge’s key experience pillars of Food and Wine, Wellness, Nature and History.
Coming Soon
A rendering of the QT Hotel in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
QT Newcastle (opening June 2022)
Newcastle, New South Wales Located within a 90 minute drive north of Sydney, Newcastle may be known for its laid back beach culture, but it will soon also house its own luxury accommodation offering. The popular boutique QT Hotel brand will be making its debut in Newcastle in June 2022, marking the fourth QT property to open in Australia. Set to take over the former 111-year-old David Jones department store building, QT Newcastle will be conveniently located on Hunter Mall right in the centre of the growing beach-side city. The design-led hotel’s luxurious, quirky flair and distinctive service will feature across the 106-rooms, rooftop bar and its signature QT dining concept.
The Langham Gold Coast (opening June 2022) – Gold Coast, Queensland
Located on the sands of Surfers Paradise, The Langham Gold Coast will feature 169 rooms and suites and an additional 170 serviced apartments as part of the new Jewel Residences by The Langham. Visible throughout the Gold Coast, the hotel will be located inside the tallest of three waterside skyscrapers. It is the first and largest development with direct beach access to be built in the coastal city within the last 30 years, offering uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean or the Hinterland. Surrounded by the buzzing dining district and nightlife of the Gold Coast, the hotel offers guests the perfect base to explore the region. The hotel will also offer a Cantonese restaurant T’ang Cou, an afternoon tea experience similar to that found at The Langham in London, and several wellness offerings built around traditional Chinese medicine.
Ritz Carlton (opening late 2022) – Melbourne, Victoria
Australia’s culture capital is getting set to put on the ritz, with the arrival of The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Melbourne in late 2022. Located on the bustling CBD hive of Spencer Street within walking distance of some of the city’s top dining and shopping destinations, the hotel will be housed in the $2.6 billion West Side Place. The precinct will include four striking towers accommodating more than 2,600 one, two and three bedroom residences, many with expansive views across the city and the bay, and exceptional lifestyle facilities. The Ritz Carlton hotel itself will also set a record as Australia’s tallest hotel, complete with a “sky check-in”, a restaurant on level 79 and 263 hotel suites.
W Sydney (opening late 2022) – Sydney, New South Wales
Set to be the biggest W Hotel in its catalogue of more than 60 across the globe, W Sydney will be a must-visit for travellers to the harbour city. Reimagining the site of the old IMAX theatre in the heart of Sydney’s glistening Darling Harbour, the hotel is within walking distance of the buzzing dining and shopping district as well as the surrounding CBD suburbs. will. The gleaming glass building will boast 593 guest rooms and an assortment of larger serviced apartments, along with a restaurant, two bars, spa and an infinity pool overlooking the harbour.
The Westin Margaret River (opening 2023) – Margaret River, Western Australia
Australia’s latest luxe stays: The top new and upcoming hotels for an indulgent holiday across the Tasman Located on the southern headland of Gnarabup Beach in Margaret River, 2.5 hours’ drive south of Perth, the Westin Margaret River Resort & Spa is slated to open in 2023. The resort will be home to 120 guestrooms, including 45 spacious suites, featuring uninterrupted views of the vivid coastline. Seeking to offer guests an opportunity to rest and recuperate, the resort will feature a range of spa packages from the iconic Heavenly brand as well as a signature Westin fitness studio and a resort-style outdoor swimming pool. Drawing heavily on local produce, there will be a diverse range of culinary offerings on site including an all-day dining restaurant, lobby lounge and pool bar. I was in the Margaret River area last month and found it utterly fabulous, with fabulous food, great wines and amazing beaches.
Not quite as new but definitely notable
A room at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Perth, Western Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Ritz Carlton, Perth, Western Australia
I had the pleasure of staying here for a few nights in May, and absolutely loved it. I had a stunning room overlooking Elizabeth Quay and the Swan River, with a walk-in closet and a massive bathroom that had a stand-alone soaker tub. The restaurant, Hearth, serves up wonderful Shark Bay scallops, tender Margaret River wagyu beef, succulent lamb and smoky, charred octopus. They also have a great selection of Western Australia wines. The bar serves up terrific cocktails.
The Crown, Sydney, New South Wales
This is a decadent hotel that pulls out all the stops. It’s the closest thing to Vegas I’ve seen in Sydney. My room was enormous and featured a big-screen TV surrounded by mirrors, a huge shower, a large soaking tub and more. I wasn’t there for dinner but the breakfast buffet is one of the best I’ve seen anywhere in the world, with a dazzling array of eggs, yogurt, a chocolate fountain, fresh fruit, meats (steak one day, fabulous ham another), noodles, dim sum and more. The swimming pool is a huge, beautiful, infinity-style affair overlooking Darling Harbour, plus a hot tub. There’s an on-site Nobu restaurant. I didn’t get a chance to go there, but they catered a tourism dinner I attended, and the sushi and sashimi were off the charts good.
