Melbourne’s Southbank precinct has plenty of hotels, but none as design-forward as Hannah St Hotel. Occupying an awkward triangular block next to the King’s Way overpass – a site most developers would have ignored – the hotel wears its location as a badge of honour, with a bullnose façade that echoes New York’s Flatiron Building.
Developed by Time & Place in partnership with TFE Hotels, the 188-room property is part of the mixed-use Queensbridge development, a 65-storey tower that rises 209m above Southbank. The hotel alone cost $150 million to deliver, with local designer David Flack of Flack Studio responsible for the interiors.
Wallpaper* checks in at Hannah St Hotel, Melbourne
What’s on your doorstep?
Set a couple of blocks back from the Yarra River, the hotel touts its ‘15-minute city’ credentials, with an impressive roster of cultural institutions on the doorstep: National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Southbank Theatre, and Hosier Lane’s renowned street art. Major sporting venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Melbourne Park, where the Australian Open tennis is held, are also within reach, as are the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Its proximity to entertainment complex Crown puts a multitude of cuisines within a short walk, from Bistro Guillaume and Spice Temple to Nobu and Marmont, alongside the casino floor for those inclined.
Who is behind the design?
Callum Fraser of Fraser & Partners designed the building, positioning the main entrance beneath the overpass as an act of urban embrace rather than apology. The ten-storey bullnose podium features 274 custom-precast aerated concrete panels along the façade, engineered to evoke Melbourne’s volcanic bluestone, a material woven into the city’s built environment since the 1830s.
David Flack of Flack Studio, perhaps better known for his residential work, took on the interiors for his first whole-hotel project, drawing freely from across the decades: 1920s French and Italian modernism, 1930s art deco, 1950s curves, 1980s Memphis, with no single era dominating. The eclecticism extends to the corridors, where burnished stainless steel wayfinding meets red-painted ceilings – a nod to deco-era Tokyo and New York’s Grand Central Station.
An art programme curated almost entirely around women artists adds further depth: Justene Williams’ large transmorphic sculpture commands the double-height lobby, Georgia Spain’s figurative abstract painting dominates the alternate entrance, and photographer Jo Duck’s quirky portraits appear in rooms and suites.
The room to book
The triangular building generates a variety of irregular room configurations – angular, curved, pointed, but rarely square. Tying it all together is Flack Studio’s bespoke handiwork: blush-pink carpets, polished concrete ceilings, octagonal ottomans covered in bright Kvadrat Maharam fabrics, polished steel and brass joinery referencing Charlotte Perriand, and bathrooms finished in navy blue tiles, Carrara marble and terrazzo. Almost every piece of furniture, fixture and fitting has been custom-made; the sole exception is a single black swivel desk chair by Tecno in each room.
Entry-level Local and Traveller rooms start at 21 sq m and come with Malin + Goetz amenities, Marshall speakers, Dyson hairdryers and 55-inch smart TVs. For space, style and comfort, the Lookout Corner Suites are worth a look. At 45 sq m, they offer 270-degree city views through floor-to-ceiling glazing, with hairpin-shaped window lounges that follow the building’s curved geometry.
Top of the range is the Hannah Suite, a 58 sq m penthouse with kitchen, separate living and dining rooms, window-side bathtub and private terrace. Views here – overpass, Crown car park, city skyline – are proudly gritty, in keeping with the spirit of the place.
Staying for drinks and dinner?
Five venues across the hotel are operated by Melbourne hospitality veterans The Mulberry Group. The day begins at Hannah St Coffee, a pavement-facing kiosk serving Square One espresso and freshly baked pastries to guests and passing locals.
Anchoring the ground floor is Coupette, an all-day European bistro that occupies the building’s curved front corner. Sunlight pours through wraparound windows into a high-ceilinged room centred on a U-shaped, marble-topped bar, with blue banquettes lining the walls.
Breakfast runs from bacon and egg rolls and avocado tartine to a blue swimmer crab omelette that is the standout of the morning menu. Lunch and dinner lean into European and Australian comfort fare: steak frites, côte de porc, grilled scampi with citrus butter, and crème brûlée or tiramisu to finish.
For drinks, Bar Hannah in the lobby is good for cocktails from mid-afternoon, while the intimate Carriage Lounge suits a late-evening whisky. The Terrace Lounge, an indoor-outdoor rooftop space on the tenth floor, serves spritzes by day and cocktails with music after dark, with views across Southbank and the city.
Where to switch off
The glass-roofed Clubhouse, shared between hotel guests and building residents, houses a black and white-tiled 25-metre-long swimming pool, steam room and sauna, and gym, with sun loungers and banquettes spilling onto an outdoor terrace.
The verdict
Hannah St Hotel makes a virtue of its awkward angles and setting, with a neighbourhood character likely to appeal to both overnight guests and local residents. Flack’s interiors give the hotel a distinctive edge, and it sits close to the city centre and within walking distance of Melbourne’s top cultural institutions, the Yarra River, green space and a strong roster of restaurants and bars.
Hannah St Hotel is located at 19 Walker Street, Southbank, Victoria 3006, Australia