Tap into local creativity at The StandardX, Melbourne

Just launched, The StandardX, Melbourne is an edgy addition to the hotel scene in Australia’s cultural capital and represents a double debut – it’s the first Standard International hotel in the country and the first StandardX to open worldwide. A ‘younger, rebellious sibling’ to the hotel brand, StandardX contains the signature DNA that guests know and love, positioned at a more accessible price point.

Led by an unpretentious and unconventional approach, the Melbourne hotel’s ethos nods to the brand’s roots on the Sunset Strip, Los Angeles, where the first Standard was envisioned by André Balazs and Ian Schrager in 1999, with culture, style, nightlife and design at its heart.

The StandardX, Melbourne

The StandardX, Melbourne embodies its context, in the creative suburb of Fitzroy, just ten minutes from the city centre by tram. The neighbourhood is at the epicentre of Melbourne’s artistic scene, and boasts eclectic shops and vibrant restaurants. The hotel’s industrial, rusted façade and curious red revolving entrance door are suitably avant garde.

Inside, the eight-storey, 125-room hotel presents industrial textures mixed with modern details, from the ground floor public spaces to the guests-only rooftop – where sweeping 270-degree views and a Mexican tapas and cocktail bar provide the ultimate summer hangout. Thai restaurant Bang, located on the ground floor, is open for all-day dining, along with the 24-hour concept store-slash-mini-bar, The Box, providing access to Victorian-made beverages, snacks and luxe amenities to enjoy in-room.

With architecture helmed by Woods Bagot (also behind the recent redesign of The Ghan train), the interior design was executed by Melbourne-based studio Hecker Guthrie. ‘We worked closely with both the local, and international Standard teams to create a design hotel that is both unique in its local context, but also resonates across the broader brand portfolio and international hotel landscape,’ say the Hecker Guthrie team.

The interiors champion local talent, such as Charles Sandford Woodturning & Joinery, designer Jordan Fleming, artist and designer Anna Varendorff, and artist Brodie Kokkinos, whose photographic work demands attention in the lounge Loft space.

What makes the new StandardX brand so original? On the evidence of Melbourne, a knack for attracting authentic creative talent contributes to a hotel experience that is anything but standard.

Find The StandardX, Melbourne at 62 Rose St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia, standardx.com