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Melbourne’s newest hotels and experiences set to inspire
February 22, 2022
As a premier destination for delegates and event planners, Melbourne is ever-changing its offering providing an array of new reasons to host business events. We’ve collated some of the newest dining destinations and exciting experiences in Melbourne that will have delegates talking about for months to come.
Accommodation
Oakwood Premier Melbourne is Australia’s first Oakwood Premier hotel in Australia and the first five-star ‘hybrid’ hotel and designed with rooms 392 rooms for both transient guests on short stays as well as studios or one and two-bedroom apartments designed for extended stays. This 40 storey debut hotel for Oakwood Premier in Australia is set to inspire guests. Four function spaces of various sizes are available to host business events and celebrate special occasions in a quiet and private pocket of Southbank. For end of the day networking with unbeatable views, head to the rooftop bar, Sky Bar Melbourne. Ideally located for business trips. Guests are within walking distance to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne’s incredible dining scene and the Yarra River is at the doorstep. 202 Normanby Street, Southbank, 3006.
InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula
A New Era of Seaside Glamour Awaits at a locally loved landmark, InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula when it opens April 2022. Guests will enjoy the harmonious blends of rich history with contemporary design to create a luxurious ocean side retreat. Wake up to the sea breeze before spending the day soaking up the relaxed alfresco lifestyle of the Mornington Peninsula, just one hour from Melbourne. Not just an incredible stay, Intercontinental Sorrento’s venue space offers meeting and conference spaces that are ready to live the next generation of meetings of minds, moments of discovery and soulful connections. The Mornington Peninsula is the perfect destination for a day trip from Melbourne for any future corporate trips, team building activities or incentive group itineraries. 23 Constitution Hill Road, Sorrento, 3943.
The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne (mid 2022)
Destined to be an attraction in its own right as the tallest hotel in Australia, upon arrival guests will enter the hotel lobby via the porte-cochere and take a direct elevator straight to the hotel’s sky check-in on level 80, offering uninterrupted views across Melbourne’s CBD and beyond. Featuring 257 guest rooms and suites including The Ritz-Carlton Club and The Ritz-Carlton Suite (251sqm). Guests will enjoy state-of-the-art bathrooms, breathtaking views, and luxurious amenities including The Ritz-Carlton Spa, restaurants and bars, concierge services and outdoor garden terrace. Event planners will delight in the classic and sophisticated meeting and event spaces totalling 2,781sqm, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom, inspired by the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria, complete with expansive pre-function space, 7m high ceilings and impressive floor to ceiling feature-window. 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000.
Hyatt Centric by Hyatt (mid 2022)
Hyatt Centric Melbourne features 277 guestrooms and a premium restaurant inspired by Melbourne’s local foodie scene all within minutes from the city’s Docklands and Southbank precincts. Melbourne is known for its rooftop bars and guests won’t be disappointed when they head to TOMA Restaurant and Bar located on the 25th floor to enjoy spectacular views across Melbourne’s Yarra River. Meeting planners take note, Hyatt Centric Melbourne’s contemporary unique event spaces offer versatile solutions that are equipped with the latest audiovisual technology. With 210 square meters of stylish space, plus a beautiful 248 square meter alfresco terrace, Hyatt Centric Melbourne provides a memorable location to hold business meetings, professional conferences, and work celebrations. 25 Downie St, Melbourne, 3000.
Experiences
Melbourne’s proximity to coast and country makes it ideal for unique outdoor experiences within a short drive of the city.
The Grampians Peaks Trail will be a once-in-a-lifetime incentive experience for delegates where over 13 days participants will hike through the backbone of a mountain range famed for its dramatic scenery and Aboriginal heritage. The 160-kilometre trail, located three hours west of Melbourne, will stretch the length of the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park and feature dramatic mountain peaks, rugged rocky outcrops, unforgettable panoramas and the ancient Aboriginal heritage of Gariwerd. Stage one is already open with a 36-kilometre, 3 days/2nights, hike through the rugged interior of the national park, beginning and ending in Halls Gap. 90/120 Swanston St, Melbourne, 3004.
Welcome your team aboard The Q Train. MCB is proudly partnering for the first time with this award winning restaurant that travels along the historic Bellarine Railway between Drysdale and Queenscliff. During a lunch experience that showcases the best of the Bellarine, guests can enjoy views of Swan Bay and local scenery.
Packages are available for your team to sail directly from Docklands to Portarlington on board Port Phillip Ferries where your group will be met and transported to The Q Train. It’s never been easier to depart Melbourne and take a business meeting or networking event offsite. Marking for a memorable day on the Bellarine, every minute of the journey is as much a part of the adventure, as the destination itself.
When planning an outdoor experience, don’t just think about what is available right now, you never know what could be available in the near future. Opening to the public in the second half of 2022, planners can take their next event experience to new heights with incredible views at Melbourne’s SkyFarm. Visitors will be able to tour the working farm, visit the orchard, dine at the sustainable café, have a drink on the deck, hire unique event spaces and attend classes at the environmental education centre.
The result of a collaboration between three Melbourne-based sustainability companies, SkyFarm is the transformation of a 2000m2 rooftop car park into an urban farm and environmental oasis in the heart of the city. Located in Melbourne's emerging Seafarers precinct, it directly overlooks the Yarra River and Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre.