North or south? Melburnians love to categorise themselves according to their preferred orientation to the Yarra, and this new hotel – which opened in December – presents a strong case for the latter. Minutes away from the CBD’s more predictable laneway offerings, Hannah St Hotel positions itself differently from the moment you’re greeted in the split-level lobby by Justene Williams’s bright red and reflective sculpture Mirror Sheila.
The hotel is spread over 10 floors of Southbank’s Queensbridge building, its distinctive wedge shape providing the kind of unpredictable layout that’s a perfect fit for Flack Studio, which handled the interiors. The scheme they landed on is vibrant and textured, largely interpreting European Modernism with colour and geometry. Public spaces are scattered with pieces from all-female, Australian artists, next to luxe materials like aged brass, Kvadrat Maharam fabrics, recycled cypress and walnut timber, and gem-like Vixel tiles.
That aesthetic extends upstairs, across 188 guest rooms in a whole host of shapes and sizes kitted out with powdery-soft robes, Marshall speakers and Malin+Goetz products. Naturally, suites up the ante, offering stylish banquette areas, private balconies or free-standing bathtubs jauntily placed in bedrooms.
For everyone from breakfasting hotel guests to locals ordering steak frites and Martinis, Coupette Corner Bistro & Bar is open all day, described by GT’s restaurant reviewer as “casually glamorous”. It’s joined by a level 10 rooftop bar and lounge, atmospheric lobby haunt Bar Hannah, and a streetside coffee window grinding beans from Melbourne social enterprise Square One Coffee Roasters, all delivered by local operators Mulberry Group.
If emails beckon, the Carriage Lounge is an inviting and calm take on the third place while a dedicated co-working space, shared with the building’s residential tenants, facilitates all the essentials of modern corporate life (podcast studio included).
Even better, Hannah St Hotel’s location, tucked beneath the Kings Way overpass, lends an overall spaciousness. That means room for an indoor swimming pool with city views, gym, sauna and steam room, with outdoor terraces.
An independently owned hotel, it’s operated by TFE Hotels, which has, in recent years, staked a claim as the group that manages many of the country’s favourite stays (The Calile Hotel in Brisbane, The Eve Hotel in Sydney’s Redfern). At Hannah St Hotel, they continue a streak of stays that feel effortlessly immersed in their neighbourhoods, with a distinct visual identity.
All winners in the Gourmet Traveller Hotel and Travel Awards have been determined by Gourmet Traveller editor David Meagher, deputy editor Ceri David and digital editor Georgia Condon. We also sought input from our team of luxury food and travel industry experts including our Victoria state editor Michael Harden, Queensland state editor Elliot Baker, New South Wales state editor Alexandra Carlton and travel writer Carrie Hutchinson.
How we pick the Gourmet Traveller Hotel and Travel Awards winners
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