Headline openings for 2020

Accommodation

With more hotel rooms in the pipeline than any other city in Australia, the trend of new high end accommodation will continue next year with Melbourne to welcome new boutique and internationally acclaimed brands.   

Lancemore Crossley St (opening early 2020)

Crossley Street is the pinnacle of Melbournian culture, centrally located between the Paris end of Bourke Street, Theatre District, restaurants such as Gingerboy, Becco and Pellegrinis, and tempting sights and sounds of Chinatown. It will be the first Melbourne based hotel from the team behind highly respective boutique Victorian properties Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill, Lancemore Milawa, Lancemore Macedon Ranges and Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park. Undergoing a $10M transformation, by award-winning Carr Design Group, Lancemore Crossley St. will feature five room types for guests to choose from, it’s walls hung with bespoke commissions from emerging artists, and a quintessentially-Melbourne rooftop terrace boasting sparkling city skyline views. Guests can choose whether to retreat to the exquisite calm the 113 private rooms offer or experience the captivating program of the public spaces.

Ovolo South Melbourne (opening TBC 2020)

Popular independent and innovative hotel brand Ovolo will open their second popular in Melbourne in 2020. Complementing the brand’s existing Ovolo Laneways, located in the city on Little Bourke St, the new six-storey 100-room upper upscale designer hotel will open in the South Melbourne neighbourhood. With a striking design from Plus Architects it will also feature restaurants, bar, function rooms and rooftop pool recreation facilities for guests. The hotel is conveniently located right on the cusp of the major tourism and business nodes of Melbourne's CBD, St Kilda Road, Stadium Precinct, Southbank, the Casino, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street (Q2 2020)

The famous Hilton brand will return to Melbourne with the opening of a centrally located property on the corner of Little Queen Street and Bourke Street in Melbourne’s central business district (CBD). The hotel will feature 244 stylish guest rooms, including 10 spacious suites, a restaurant and bar, a fully equipped gym, an executive lounge and five meeting & event spaces. The Hilton will be located in the Equity Chambers building, built in 1931, which is known for its beautiful revival architectural style and Italian Romanesque and Gothic detailing.

W Hotel (June 2020)

Luxe hotel chain W Hotel are anticipated to open their first property in Melbourne in June 2020. W Melbourne will feature 294 rooms and suites, along with a bar, restaurant, spa, gym and a heated indoor pool. The new hotel will be located in the towering new precinct called Collins Arch on Collins St, with the hotel lobby located on Flinders Lane, the hugely popular gastronomical precinct.

Sebel Yarrawonga (mid 2020)

Alongside the picturesque mighty Murray River and the shores of stunning Lake Mulwala, The Sebel Yarrawonga is a $48 million luxury international 4.5-star boutique hotel and serviced apartments. Part of the Silverwoods the No.1 Golf & Lifestyle Resort on the Murray River, the waterfront precinct features Black Bull 18-hole Championship Golf Course, a health spa, gymnasium, and waterfront pool, as well as multiple dining options. Visitors can enjoy an abundance of water sports, including swimming, boating, water-skiing, fishing or hit of golf.

Dining

80 Collins St (early 2020)

The new 80 Collins St development in the heart of Melbourne’s city centre is set to become a dining destination in its own right. Along with a 255-room Next Hotel, the precinct will be home to two new premium restaurants. Chef Alejandro Saravias, from laneway restaurant Pastuso, will open a new farm-to-table eatery that celebrates the best of Victorian region Gippsland. Farmer’s Daughters will feature across three-floors, offering an array of options, including a ground-floor deli, main dining room and a rooftop space. Joining Saravias in the precinct will be the much-anticipated new restaurant collaboration between former award-winning Sepia duo Martin Benn and Vicky Wild, and Melbourne restauranteur Chris Lucas of Lucas Group (Chin Chin, KISUMÉ, Hawker Hall, Baby, Kong). Expected to be one of the biggest restaurant opening in Australia in 2020, the new restaurant will create a new style of fine dining. The name and cuisine will be announced in the new year.

Andrew McConnell new restaurant (summer 2020)

Celebrated Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell will open his first restaurant in five years in the heart of Melbourne at Cavendish House, 33 Russell Street, in the summer of 2020. The chef behind dining institutions Cumulus Inc, Cutler & Co, Marion and Supernormal, McConnell’s newest restaurant will reference the history and nostalgia of the 1920’s heritage building to create a natural backdrop for the European restaurant and cocktail bar. Guests can enjoy dining at the cocktail bar or choose one of the tables, banquettes or private areas. The menu will embrace the confidence of Italian regional cooking, classic elements of French technique, flavours of Spain and the hearty comfort dishes from the British Isles. The name of the restaurant will be announced in the new year.

Grazeland (March 2020)

Grazeland is Melbourne’s most exciting new culinary destination: a playground for foodies and families that brings tantalising food and entertainment together in one location. Situated 5km from Melbourne’s city centre, the new gastronomical precinct will provide a rotating weekly festival featuring live performances, roving entertainers, and an incredible atmosphere that celebrates Melbourne’s amazing food culture.

Crofter Dining Room & Bar (January 2020)

Lygon Street's Hellenic Republic will become Crofter Dining Room & Bar in January. The decade-old Brunswick East eatery will swap its Greek fare for a modern Australian offering in a new venture between renowned Pope Joan chef-owner Matt Wilkinson and George Calombaris's Made Establishment. Crofter Dining Room & Bar will feature a contemporary Australian menu, along with inspiration from Wilkinson’s British upbringing. The chef will continue his focus on sustainable and waste-free practices.