Le Méridien Melbourne is now open, marking the brand’s debut in Australia.

Located on a prime location overlooking Parliament House, Spring Street, and the east of Melbourne, the five-star hotel features 235 mid-century inspired guestrooms and suites, a ground floor café and bar, restaurant, and a rooftop pool deck.

“We are excited to introduce Le Méridien to Australia and bring the brand’s European essence of savouring the good life to global tastemarkers and locals,” said Jennifer Connell, global brand leader, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts and vice-president, Distinctive Premium Brands, Marriott International. “Melbourne is a destination known for its rich history and thriving art, culture, and culinary scene, which makes if the perfect fit for Le Méridien. We look forward to welcoming travellers as they explore Melbourne in style.”

Melbourne architecture practice, Peddle Thorp, was tasked with transforming the building, which was built in the 1850s as a hotel and has served as a theatre, cinema, nightclub, and live performance venue. The original Art Deco façade was retained and paired with mid-century interiors. The arrival experience begins in a private porte-cochère driveway featuring a mural by local artist Stephen Baker, and continues into a lobby filled with mid-century inspired furniture, polished natural stone, and a large-scale sculptural installation by Marta Figueiredo and projected video art by Wendy Yu, which introduces visitors to Le Méridien’s global Unlock Art program.

Guestrooms feature Malin + Goetz bath amenities, signature Le Méridien beds, Marshall speakers, 55-inch LCD TVs, signature bottled cocktails by The Everleigh Bottling Co., a personal coffee machine with artisan coffee pods, and a working desk. Suites are elevated with black stone kitchenettes, Smeg appliances, luxury barware, a selection of art books, crafted oak board games, and Yamaha MusicCast 500 turntables with a selection of vinyl records from artists such as Prince and James Brown, who once performed on-site.

Drink and dine options at Le Méridien Melbourne include:

• Le Splash, the showpiece rooftop pool and terrace, which will also be home to a seasonal pop-up cinema launching later this year in collaboration with Melbourne International Film Festival and French Film Festival;
• Intermission, a lobby café that transforms into a wine bar at night;
• and Dolly, a low-lit restaurant in the “subterranean” level, that serves elevated European dishes made from local Victorian produce.

The property’s meeting and event spaces cover 4,520 square feet. The largest space is a 1,960-square-foot room that is can be divided in two. A dedicated meetings floor features four additional rooms and three private working booths. All rooms offer high-speed Internet access, and the latest audio and video equipment.

Le Méridien Melbourne also has a 24-hour TechnoGym complete with virtual personal trainers and a sauna.