I make no secret of my love for 1 Hotels. I’ve stayed in several of the brand’s US properties to date (1 Hotel South Beach in Miami is my favourite), and see it as a necessary evolution for a hospitality industry constantly seeking new ways to be authentically eco-conscious.
There are plenty of sustainability initiatives out there that have shown the general public that you can care about the environment without compromising on comfort and quality. This brand, from SH Hotels & Resorts (formerly Starwood Hotels), takes that to the next logical level. Striking a balance between sustainable principles and outright luxury importantly shows that the two can work together in perfect harmony, with spaces that speak to each other, rooms that reflect purpose, and food that won’t leave you feeling bloated and unmotivated.
Biophilic design principles play a big role here, with the 1 Hotels’ design language all about bringing nature indoors wherever possible, speaking to the living world in a way that, to date, has only really been seen in highly individualised, independent hotels (usually in remote locations).
The distinction here is that 1 Hotels are mostly city stays, channelling the likes of New York City (where the brand has two properties – one in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan) and Miami, and now Melbourne, for a “concrete jungle” aesthetic. Except it’s less concrete and more organic materials such as reclaimed wood, stone and greenery. Seeing how the designers adapt this concept for a high-end hotel is inspiring.
Because, really, that’s the best sustainability initiative: inspiration. Education. Sending guests back out into the world equipped with new ideas on how to balance sustainability, wellness and luxury.
For their first property in Australia, the brand landed on 1 Hotels Melbourne, pitching the enormous 277-room property along the Yarra River by shifting the air at the heritage-listed Goods Shed No.5, which was built in 1895 to process cargo at the height of Melbourne’s maritime revolution.
Location
You aren’t exactly in the heart of the action at 1 Hotel Melbourne. You’re at the Southwestern side of the CBD, about a 10-minute walk from Southern Cross Station. It’s a peaceful side of the Yarra, with much of the riverwalk at the hotel’s doorstep. It doesn’t take long to hit a touristy blend of shopping, restaurants and bars along the river, but you’ll likely be catching Ubers if you want to peel yourself onto Melbourne CBD’s livelier side.
Design
The location is reflected in 1 Hotel’s gorgeous design and reflective facade, from its ground-floor spaces with large steel trusses and weathered timber taken from reclaimed train sleepers to an elegant collection of nature-inspired artworks. Over 1,000 glass eels hang from the warehouse ceiling, looking down over strips of lively green moss that snake up walls and add a beautiful lived-in feeling, along with the thousands of plants threaded between mismatched lounges and large communal tables that form the hotel’s lounge area.
The stylish bar area is one of the hotel’s most attractive spaces, taking cues from 1 Hotel West Hollywood’s lobby lounge with a similarly effortless, remarkably clever design.
“Luxury” is an overused term in the hotel space nowadays. You can’t have luxury without a consistent design language that pulls both the common and personal spaces together to create a seamless theme that gives the hotel its character. After staying at a few of their properties now, I think 1 Hotels is doing this better than most, quietly establishing an enormous point of difference that feels like a transformative moment for luxury hospitality.
It’s a shift. I guess. Sustainability, nature and wellness have shot to the forefront of luxury travel. While that has its issues – no one should ever be priced out of “wellness”, and I lament seeing the concept gentrified by “influencers” and the brands that cater to them – 1 Hotels has a clear, firm grasp of what modern luxury looks like with those three guiding principles at the forefront.
And so, of course, no detail is overlooked. Certain brand standards pop up across the property, like a farm-fresh, grab-and-go table with perfect green apples near the entrance for guests to grab on the way out, right next to a filtered water tap with old wine bottles upcycled as glasses. You’ll see this kind of stuff in the rooms as well, completely avoiding paper and single-use plastics.
The hotel’s most powerful artwork hangs behind reception. Salted Souls by Vanessa Barragao is a rich, sensuous wool tapestry based on Victoria’s rockpools and seafood formations. The Portuguese artist brought together crochet with felting and 60kg of upcycled textile waste, representing the hotel’s irrepressible creativity when it comes to giving sustainability a more fashionable frame.
Over 2,000 items have been repurposed across the 277-room hotel, including the window frames in the rooms, timber purlins up top, and just under 2,000 bluestone tiles repurposed to form a heritage footpath. Mercury-free LED lighting systems are installed across the property, but the building’s angular facade has been carefully shaped to maximise natural daylight wherever possible. The genuine effort this growing hotel brand is pouring into the industry is inspiring.
Rooms
Room categories are anchored by either river or city views. My suite reminds me of a similar room at 1 Hotel’s Nashville property, with a sparse, breezy design that feels appropriately like a wellness sanctuary. The same earthy, herbaceous scent that has been trailing behind me since entering the lobby has popped up in the room. The hotel’s brand-standard spa, Bamford, has provided a lovingly soft signature scent that lingers across the room with a gentle touch.
The scent isn’t as on-the-nose as at a classic luxury hotel, such as Fontainebleau Miami Beach or The Maybourne. It’s not anchored by notes of vanilla like at The Baccarat in New York. It’s an overly pleasant olfactory pick-me-up that doesn’t assault the senses and aligns well with the property’s calm ambience. The hotel’s gentle expressions help make the brand much more endearing than it already is.
Peek inside the mini-bar and you’ll spot everything from Louis Roederer to local craft gins and whiskeys. This is proper high-end stuff, speaking strongly to the other side of this hotel’s equation: luxury. This is a luxury hotel with very few compromises, again showcasing that you can have your cake and eat it too when it comes to balancing sustainability with supreme comfort with a brand that doesn’t feel contrived or performative. This is luxury with soul: harder to maintain than most people would like to think.
Organic cotton linens keep me cool at night, but natural air-conditioning (there’s real air-con too – they aren’t sadists!) is handled by the balcony breeze lifted from the river at night. Open the window, and the air-con automatically shuts off to conserve energy. Encouraging a restful sleep while never losing sight of the hotel’s purpose is part and parcel of the design.
I even woke up and felt motivated to unfurl the nearby yoga mat, pour myself some triple-filtered water right after some Sun Salutation and use the roller to smooth out any kinks.
I notice a few other throughlines from other 1 Hotels properties as well, like the little prompt in the bathroom encouraging guests to leave something behind if they’ve overpacked. They’ll donate it for you: another small but effective, subtle reminder that we’re all in this together.
Food & Drink
The green-thumbing warehouse vibe flows naturally into the hotel’s signature restaurant, From Here by Mike. Chef Mike McEnearney’s profile is unquestionable in Australia, and along with the likes of Neil Perry and Ben Shewry, the culinary legend has been at the forefront of the (vastly superior) hyperlocal approach. Melbourne has always lent itself perfectly to produce-forward cooking, so it’s nice to see a menu featuring over 25 primary ingredients alongside their producers.
Cheese comes from That’s Amore Cheese in Thomastown and Long Paddock Cheese in Castlemaine. Jam comes from the Jam Lady in Healesville. Eggs come from Honest Eggs Co in Strangways. Add in a hat from the Australian Good Food Guide, and it’s clear that this is quite literally the only place you should be eating in the afterthought that is Docklands.
I open the wine list and read the names of over 40 Victorian producers before switching over to the cocktails, which lean fresh and natural rather than sugary and Instagrammable. Highlighting local small-batch spirits seems just as important here as highlighting the winemakers, which is another strong sign that nothing is overlooked at 1 Hotel Melbourne.
Fried Chilli Spanner Crab Omelettes for breakfast bleed into farm-to-table meats for lunch and dinner. Salads are as enormous as they are delicious, and highlights such as a texturally perfect fried octopus skewer are generous and well-priced.
A smaller cafe is located nearby for those in a rush, and the Crane Bar & Upstairs Lounge looks over the lounge bar with a more private, members’ club feel. Yet it’s empty – and closed – on my visit.
Amenities
Bamford Wellness Spa, an elegant British brand, has become the go-to for 1 Hotels. You’ll find Bamford in New York, Miami and L.A. locations, amongst others, yet I can’t speak to the treatments there. If their in-room producers are anything to go by, however, then it’s safe to expect lightweight, natural and herbaceous products during typical spa treatments. Head in and you’ll see a Finnish sauna, aromatherapy steam room, vitality pool and a similar, seamless blend of creamy stone and soft white tones that give the hotel its calming effect.
The idea of wellness is expanding quite rapidly – as it should be – and so having all these different options takes this far beyond the kind of hotel spa Melbourne locals have been used to. Also included is an 18-metre indoor pool with large glass windows clawing natural light from the lack of skyscrapers in the area. An expansive, well-stocked fitness centre is expected and delivered.
A hotel’s social program seems endless as well. While I’m disappointed they don’t have a rooftop bar – they do them so well in the States – there’s enough activity happening around the hotel that guests wouldn’t miss their standard Harriet’s Rooftop Bar & Lounge. Just to the side of the reception is a large blackboard leaning against the wall, neaty chalky writing listing a packed weekly schedule that includes everything from pickleball sessions and soundbaths to daily food specials and DJ sessions.
Service
One of the best wellness-centric hotel stays I’ve had to date has been Forestis up the Dolomites. That, to me, has been my benchmark for luxury hotels for many years now, and a big part of that is the service. A huge part of any luxury hotel is the service, of course, but the smaller details count as well. All the way down to the tone that staff speak in. At Forestis, it was calm, relaxing, assuring – part of the welcome experience that instantly melts away the stresses that lie outside the property.
It’s similar here. And that’s rare. Calm, gentle, friendly and personable service is becoming increasingly uncommon in luxury hotels, where efficiency often wins out over warmth.
From check-in onwards, staff seem genuinely invested in maintaining the atmosphere the hotel works so hard to create. Conversations never feel rushed. Questions are answered thoughtfully rather than mechanically. Even simple interactions, whether asking for directions, recommendations or a bottle of water before heading out, are handled with an easy, natural feel rather than rehearsed.
Luxury hospitality is often judged by grand gestures, but I increasingly find it’s the smaller touches that matter most. At 1 Hotel Melbourne, the service consistently reinforces the property’s core philosophy.
Verdict & Value
While 1 Hotel Melbourne sets itself apart from other luxury hotels, it still fetches a high price. Expect to pay around $400 for a night here, which is around the price you’d expect from this calibre. Yet it’s no surprise that this property, symbolising a new era of luxury hospitality in Melbourne in just over a year, has already been awarded a Michelin Key for excellence, making this a much more worthwhile stay than some of the city’s older high-end hotels.
Do consider that you are in the quieter end of Docklands, which is already one of Melbourne’s most uninteresting areas. If it wasn’t for the peaceful position along this bend of the Yarra, it’d be a drab location to be in. But there’s also an EV house car that’ll zip you on over to the city, and there’s a tram stop (it’s part of the “free zone”) right opposite the hotel. Zipping on over to Gimlet for a martini or two doesn’t take long.
The hotel’s founder, Barry Stenlicht, will likely agree that greenwashing has become far too common and annoying in the hotel industry. Since the advent of “influencers”, the word “luxury” has been loaded with performative, soulless, optics-driven hype, and greenwashing has been an easy way for hotels to turn that image-obsessed approach into bookings while charging more. It lacks credibility.
Which is why I’ve been so excited about this brand since I first stayed at their Brooklyn property in 2024. The 1 has been planting these gorgeous luxury hotels around the US for a few years now, and they finally seem to be expanding into this part of the world, most recently in Tokyo’s trendy Akasaka neighbourhood. Importantly, they rest on credibility and purpose while offering the modern comforts expected from luxury nowadays.
Given that education is one of the most effective sustainability initiatives, the importance of having more of these properties sprout up around the world is undeniable.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
1 Hotel Melbourne
Address: 9 Maritime Place, Docklands
Contact: 03 7053 0888
Nightly rate: From $400
The writer stayed as a guest of 1 Hotels.
