1 Hotel Melbourne Review: Sustainable Luxury Makes a Mark in Australia

If you’ve been looking for the best hotels in Melbourne, the city’s riverside just gained a new icon of conscious design. 1 Hotel Melbourne is the latest addition to the brand’s mission-driven portfolio, and is set to redefine luxury in our favourite Australian city.

Built along 220 metres of uninterrupted Yarra River frontage, 1 Hotel Melbourne boasts chef-led dining and curated wellness rituals, all while bringing back Melbourne’s industrial heritage with a nature-led design ethos. There’s no over-the-top grandeur here — no chandeliers or marble overload. Instead, you’ll find reclaimed materials, soft light and greenery everywhere. An invitation to slow down, reconnect and breathe.

1 Hotel Melbourne Highlights

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Travel Time: Around 25 minutes from Melbourne Airport; walking distance to the city centre.

Who It’s For: Couples, girls’ getaways, business travellers, conscious luxury seekers.

Highlights:

• Riverside location with stunning views and city convenience
• Sustainable design using reclaimed materials and natural finishes
• Spacious River Reserve King rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows
• Locally inspired dining at From Here by Mike
• Holistic treatments at the Bamford Wellness Spa
• Heated indoor pool and modern fitness centre overlooking the Yarra
• Easy access to Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone and lively waterfront dining

Best new menus and restaurants in Singapore? Take a look at our monthly dining guide here. 

^{1 Hotel Melbourne}

Arrival & First Impressions at 1 Hotel Melbourne

From the moment you arrive, there is no doubt that nature sets the tone here. The restored Goods Shed No. 5, once a shipping hub, now anchors the property, connecting Melbourne’s maritime past with its design-forward present.

Inside, over 2,000 salvaged elements, including timber doors, bluestone pavers and steel trusses, have been reused to give the space warmth and texture. The granite rock wall in the lobby draws inspiration from Victoria’s coastline, while reclaimed wood from the Metro Tunnel project and decommissioned railway bridges frame staircases and lounges.

A farm-stand cart offers fresh apples in a lobby that is generously splattered with natural light, live plants and a welcoming sense of calm. In fact, more than 7,000 plants bring Victoria’s biodiversity indoors, reminding one that the hotel values connection with nature as much as it does with its community. 

^{River Reserve King Room at 1 Hotel Melbourne. Image Credit_ Mikkel Vang}

River Reserve King - The Room You’ll Want to Book

Each of the 277 guest rooms and 36 suites offer floor-to-ceiling views of the skyline or river. The palette is warm and textural, using linen and stone, complemented by toiletries from Bamford Wellness Spa. For longer stays, 114 hotel-branded residences bring waterfront living to life, alongside private dining, in-residence spa treatments, and sweeping terrace views.

If you can, book the River Reserve King. Overlooking the Yarra, the room features a king bed, a walk-in rain shower (alongside a timer, should you be a conscious user), and a comfortable sofa area made for slow mornings with a coffee in hand. 

We’ve never loved a hotel robe as much! The cotton sweatshirt-style robe with its matching slippers is soft, oversized and perfect for lounging. Small touches like a bedside slate pad instead of a notepad, or the option to donate a clothing item, are subtle but wonderful reminders of a mindful stay. There’s also a yoga mat, filtered water on tap, and a mini bar filled with local produce. The practical bits are as indulgent - GHD hair dryer, iron, and even a clothes steamer make the stay here pretty seamless. Shopping run? Just head to the massive DFO right across the bridge from the hotel. 

^{Dinner at 1 Hotel Melbourne. Image credit: From Here by Mike}

Dining: From Here by Mike

From Here by Mike, the hotel’s signature restaurant, is ideal for a slow breakfast, but even more so for an indulgent dinner with your date. Helmed by award-winning chef Mike McEnearney, the restaurant takes a thoughtful approach to dining, guided by the rhythm of Victoria’s seasons.

Dinner unfolds as a shared experience, beginning with To Be Frank country sourdough and Del Bocia salted butter, alongside the Forged Cultured Japanese Quail Gras edible candle. Worthy of the gram, this clever creation is lit like any ordinary candle, with diners dipping chunks of bread into its melting fat.

You’ll also want to order the Chicken Liver Pâté, made with livers from Aurum Cockerels and Four Spiced Salt, served on crispy toast.

Our favourite on the menu is the twice-baked Meredith Dairy goat’s cheese soufflé, creamy, aromatic, and layered with baked shallots, floating in rosemary cream.

For heartier appetites, the Pure Black Wagyu bavette steak delivers on richness and depth, while the Roasted Remi's Patch Sugarloaf Cabbage is an interesting twist served with fermented mustard seed Cafe De Paris Sauce. You might be tempted to skip dessert, but we hope you don’t. The dark chocolate mousse is creamy, decadent and silky, paired with Davidson plum and finished with white chocolate cream. It’s absolutely worth saving room for.

From Here by Mike is perfect if you love to linger. Between shared plates and local wines, the atmosphere is relaxed yet quietly celebratory, yes, even on a school night.

^{Swimming Pool at 1 Hotel Melbourne. Image Credit_ Mikkel Vang}

Wellness at 1Hotel Melbourne - Bamford Wellness Spa

This is not a hotel gym you skip. The Field House Gym is bright, modern and fully equipped, overlooking the river. Expect premium machines, sustainable materials, and guided sessions for yoga, meditation and breathwork. There’s also a heated indoor pool, steam room and sauna; all beautifully designed.

The Bamford Wellness Spa is the hallmark here, offering a retreat-like experience centred on organic and mindful restoration. Rooted in a philosophy of natural harmony, each treatment draws on Bamford’s holistic approach, using certified organic botanicals, intuitive techniques and rituals that nurture both body and spirit.

The menu includes everything from soothing massages to advanced facials enhanced with gua sha, LED therapy, crystal masks and soundwave relaxation. Before your treatment begins, the serene lounge invites you to unwind with a cup of tea and light snacks. It’s a space made for slowing down and enjoying each moment, before and after your session.

The changing rooms, lockers and dressing areas, stocked with Bamford products to sample, are designed with the same sense of calm. Every detail helps quiet the mind and prepare the body for complete rejuvenation.

^{The Bamford Wellness Spa at 1 Hotel Melbourne}

The Bamford Signature Ritual

During our stay, we experienced the Bamford Signature Ritual, a 90-minute full-body treatment designed to restore balance and reconnect with self. The ritual blends Shiatsu and Swedish massage techniques to ease tension, complemented by warm chakra stones that encourage energetic alignment.

From the first step, the treatment felt different: calm, meditative and deeply intentional. It unfolds with facial acupressure, an Indian head massage and gentle breathwork, each layer encouraging a sense of grounding and renewal.

By the end, the mind felt clear, the body light, and that post-spa haze lingered far longer than expected. It was a simple reminder of what true rest can feel like — unhurried, balanced and completely restorative.

Why We Would Stay at 1 Hotel Melbourne, Again

1 Hotel Melbourne proves that luxury and sustainability can sit comfortably together. From its repurposed timber framework to its community-minded spirit, this hotel invites you to slow down and notice the small things. To experience the city a little more consciously.

If there’s one drawback, it’s the limited dining options on-site. But in a city like Melbourne, that’s all the inspiration you need to step out and explore its incredible food scene. 

Just a short walk away, the bustling waterfront is lined with restaurants serving every kind of cuisine. The Melbourne Free Tram Zone also makes it easy to reach the city’s most loved dining spots. There’s plenty of opportunity to test your palate and, more importantly, to savour what Melbourne does best.

Set along the Yarra River, 1 Hotel Melbourne sets a new benchmark for sustainable hospitality in the city. Whether it’s a girls’ night away, a celebratory stay for couples, a business trip, or simply a fun way to rediscover the city, 1 Hotel Melbourne feels like the kind of place you’ll want to return to.

Book your stay at 1 Hotel Melbourne, 9 Maritime Place, Melbourne VIC 3008. Australia. Reservations: (+61) 3 7053 0888

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