Accor hotel brand to debut in Melbourne match factory
Melbourne’s hipster inner suburbs have cemented themselves as the launching pads for new overseas hotel brands, after local developer Alfasi secured the nation’s first Hoxton designer hotel to anchor a $600 million mixed-use development in Cremorne, in the inner east.
The 198-room hotel will form part of the redevelopment of the Bryant and May Industrial Complex at 560 Church Street, which was built in the early 1900s and includes the original red brick match factory where Redheads matches were made until 1987.
The Australian debut of the Hoxton brand – the new hotel is due to open its doors in three years’ time – comes as developer Woodlink converts the former Salvation Army Printing Works in East Melbourne into the country’s first Lanson Place, an upmarket Hong Kong-based hotel and serviced apartment brand.
Earlier this month, boutique hotel operator The Standard – it was acquired by Hyatt a week ago – opened its first Australian hotel, The StandardX, in a DealCorp development in Fitzroy.
And on the northern banks of the Yarra next to the CBD, the country’s first 1 Hotel is taking shape as part of developer Riverlee’s $550 million Seafarers project, and due to open next year.
The Hoxton is one of a number of next-generation brands managed by hospitality company Ennismore, a joint venture with hotel giant Accor. Other brands managed by Ennismore include Mondrian, which will debut on the Gold Coast later this year.
The arty Hoxton Melbourne will straddle old and new. Some of its food and beverage (F&B) offerings, as well as a meeting space, will be housed in the repurposed Match Factory. The hotel rooms and another F&B offering will sit within a new building that Alfasi will construct fronting Church Street.
The hotel will include two restaurants, a cafe and a bar, as well as hybrid event spaces centred around a communal pantry, and a gym. Hotel room categories will be called Cosy, Roomy, and Biggy.
Ennismore co-chief executive Gaurav Bhushan told The Australian Financial Review of its plan to roll out new hotels in Australia two years ago.
“Australia is still a young market for us, but we see huge growth potential,” Mr Bhushan said at the time.
“We’re working on a whole bunch [of deals] and building the pipeline rapidly. There’s a lot going on,” he added.
Ennismore’s other Australian hotel projects include Hyde Perth and 25hours Hotel the Olympia in Sydney.
Alfasi Property acquired the near one-hectare Cremorne factory site in 2022, paying around $80 million. The developer is an offshoot of crane hire company Alfasi Hire, founded by Avri Alfasi in 1980.
Alfasi’s approved plans for the site include new contemporary buildings ranging from eight to 13 storeys, accommodating a mix of commercial office spaces and hotel and hospitality facilities. About 3000 sq m of the site will be set aside for public usage and open spaces. Onsite works are expected to begin in October.
“We envisioned Matchworks as a vibrant, multi-faceted destination to foster community and commerce from day to night,” said Gill Dvir, managing director of Alfasi Property. “The precinct will offer a variety of amenities, including a microbrewery, distinctive food and beverage options, boutique retail spaces, wellness facilities, and a hotel with a unique character and exceptional service.”
