{"id":55327,"date":"2026-08-19T15:01:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T05:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/luxuryescapes.com\/inspiration\/?p=55327"},"modified":"2026-08-25T11:32:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T01:32:36","slug":"1-hotel-melbourne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luxuryescapes.com\/inspiration\/1-hotel-melbourne\/","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne’s Newest Hotel Redefines Luxury on the Yarra River"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The brand’s first in Australasia, the award-winning 1 Hotel Melbourne brings new life to a hitherto neglected stretch of the city’s Yarra River with 220 metres of uninterrupted river frontage. Paul Chai checks in.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melbourne<\/a>\u2019s last remaining heritage goods shed from the city\u2019s shipping heyday has been transformed. Now the architectural centrepiece of 1 Hotel’s latest installment, the restored Goods Shed No. 5 has been decked out with abundant plant life and natural materials from timber to stone flooring. Says the brand: \u201cThe hotel<\/a> is also designed to foster connection, creativity, and community, buzzing from day to night with chef-led dining, wellness experiences, and a dynamic lineup of \u201chappenings\u201d from sound baths and DJ sets to zero-waste cocktail workshops.\u201d Sustainability is also a key pillar of the brand \u2013 an effort that’s seen the hotel receive a coveted MICHELIN Key in 2026, just one of four in Melbourne to receive the honour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Where am I sleeping?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the dried moss adorning my door to the half-dozen plants around the room (there are over 7000 in the hotel), my River Reserve King feels like a five-star hotel crossed with a treehouse, a vibe enhanced by the rustic throw rugs, plentiful dark wood and earthy tones; you feel greener and more sustainable just standing in your room. 1 Hotel Melbourne really walks the sustainable walk with a filtered water tap and glasses replacing plastic bottles, chalk-and-slate instead of notepads and an in-room dining menu via a QR code burned into a piece of wood. The view is out onto the Yarra and the famous crane.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The hospitality situation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Crane Bar & Lounge takes up the main space in the revivified Goods Shed No. 5 \u2013 which was broken down into 2000 pieces, taken away and reassembled \u2013 with a DJ set up in the corner and Neighbours cafe, a grab-and-go dining option open by day. The Upstairs lounge is the more grown-up cocktail nook (try the Japanese martini with nori-infused Forty Spotted gin, sushi brine, sesame oil and some freeze-dried kimchi on the side). From Here By Mike is Sydney-based chef Mike McEnearney\u2019s first hotel collab and offers a provenance-led menu that celebrates Victorian purveyors. Highlights might include slow-fermented flatbread topped with almond ricotta and mushroom nduja \u201cXO\u201d or a grilled Port Phillip Bay southern calamari cooked in and its own ink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First impressions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1 Hotel Melbourne the passion for sustainability surrounds you from the moment you walk through the doors. NSW-based artist Jamie North\u2019s organic sculpture \u2013 representing urban lifestyle and nature \u2013 brackets the Farm Table, where guests can grab a fresh piece of fruit on arrival. Above the reception desk is a tapestry by Portuguese-based artist Vanessa Barrag\u00e3o, made of 60 kilograms of textile waste that was headed to the landfill; the wooden desk below it was hewn from a fallen tree found in nearby Flagstaff Gardens. The granite wall to the right is made of offcuts that were also landfill-bound, and to the left is a desk made from bluestone pavers saved from the original precinct. There is also a huge \u201chappenings\u201d board listing everything on during your stay, from food and beverage offerings to a DJ playing in the adjacent bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Relax and revive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The hotel pool area at 1 Hotel is a well-designed haven with lap pool, spa, steam room and sauna, and it\u2019s a kid-free space after 5pm. Next door is the Bamford Wellness Spa with a retail space packed with the Bamford body and skincare ranges that you also find in your room. As a bit of a spa sceptic, I was shocked by just how different my deep-tissue massage was. It was rigorous and intuitive, and quite possibly the best massage I have ever had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Melbourne\u2019s new 1 Hotel<\/a> bangs a very loud drum in the wellness and sustainability space, and it more than delivers, making it one of the most exciting new offerings in the city\u2019s hotel scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Discover Melbourne<\/h3>\t\n\t
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