2021 Eat Drink Design Awards: Best Hotel Design

Jury comment

The newly opened Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street seamlessy combines the heritage Equity Chambers building with a modern 16-storey tower and includes two distinct food and beverage spaces. Luci, the hotel’s restaurant, complements original details such as coffered ceilings, ornate plasterwork and carved timber features with rich upholsteries, handsome banquette seating and modern lighting, creating a timeless lobby restaurant experience. Its location, in the original building’s former grand hall, can be viewed from above from the reception area, placing it at the centre of the guest experience. The Douglas Club is the opposite – a charismatic, intimate bolthole anchored by a striking marble cocktail bar. The jury appreciated the contrast between the spaces, which spoke to the overall sophistication and confidence of its interior design. The winner in a healthy category that signals an Australian renaissance for the hotel restaurant and bar experience.

Design statement

The Hilton Little Queen Street Melbourne incorporates the refurbished 1931 Equity Trustees building with an additional six levels and a 16-level tower to the rear. It includes 244 hotel rooms and 10 suites, a signature restaurant and cocktail bar alongside guest amenities such as gym, meeting rooms and function spaces. The former grand hall naturally translated into an impressive space for hospitality venues, and includes the 1930s-inspired cocktail bar, The Douglas Club, and stylish contemporary Australian restaurant, Luci. The double-height restaurant creates a notable impact, but drama is further enhanced with the addition of a mezzanine which allows guests at the hotel reception to view the grand space.

Project credits

Design practice: Bates Smart; Project team: Julian Anderson, Jeffery Copolov, Grant Filipoff, Tim Fowler, Lisa Gerstman, Quentin Leroy, Sarah Kren-Kibblewhite

Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street is built on the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people.

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See the whole gallery of images at the Eat Drink Design Awards website.

The 2021 Eat Drink Design Awards are organized by Architecture Media and supported by supporting partners Roca, Latitude and Yal Yal Estate; and presenting partner James Richardson Furniture.

The Eat Drink Design Awards are endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects and the Design Institute of Australia.