Luxe and sustainability are the tenets behind 1 Hotel Melbourne, the first location in Australia for the international hotel chain. 1 Hotel Melbourne feels very different from other Melbourne city hotels. It may transport you to outside of Melbourne with its leafy, tropical vibe. Located along the Yarra River in the Docklands precinct, come along and see why people (and their pets) love staying here so much.
1 Hotel is an international brand of hotels with hotels in New York, West Hollywood, Paris, Copenhagen, Toronto and Tokyo. Its first Australian location in Melbourne opened in June 2025. The vibe here is all about sustainable luxury and it positions itself as a sanctuary away from the crowds of Melbourne city.
The hotel's Biophilic design builds in nature and natural elements into its architecture with timber and a surfeit of the lush greenery that adorns so much of the public and private space giving it a soft, natural edge. Its location right in the quiet Docklands area along the Yarra River helps too.
Then there's the wellness aspect of the hotel, one that hotels are adding due to demands of an ever increasingly stressed workforce. Bamford Spa sits adjacent to the sparkling pool and warming sauna and spa.
The hotel is also known for its popular signature restaurant From Here by Mike by Chef Mike McInerney (a separate review to come for that but it's the best fine dining meal of our 5 day trip).
Service is one of the stand outs from the moment the car pulls up to the 1 Hotel Melbourne. The smiling, deferential staff whisk your bags up to your room so that they arrive before you do. A nice touch of the hotels of yesteryear is the personal escort up to your room.
Much like a resort overseas, there's a program of activities in the lobby that details everything from kids pizza making classes to yoga, nature art tours and a floating soundbath on different days. Hotel guests can also borrow complimentary ebikes. A thought strikes both Mr NQN and I as we wander around the hotel. How many plants are there in this hotel?
The answer is over 2,000. The hotel currently holds LEED silver status (a green ranking of buildings) and produces energy using mercury-free LED lighting systems, robust insulation that keeps rooms warm even during a cold snap, water cooled air conditioning systems, advanced heat recovery methods and a façade that maximises natural daylight.
The base of the hotel is the Goods Shed No. 5, a circa 1941 historic cargo goods processing building that they've built the hotel around. They've restored the existing structure and over 2,000 items within it have found another life within the hotel including timber purlins, steel trusses and window frames and 1,944 bluestone pavers that they've used to form a footpath in the ground floor public spaces.
Nature is used as art - behind the reception desk sits a striking artwork by Vanessa Barragao called Salted Souls, made with 60 kilograms of upcycled textile industry waste into a three-dimensional art work. Look up and you'll see a suspended artwork by Yhonnie Scarce called The Ray Fin representing the long-standing migration of eels from the sea to the Birrarung (Yarra River).
The Room
There are 227 rooms and suites at 1 Hotel Melbourne facing either the city or the river. Our room 917 is a River Reserve King Room that spans 41 square metres or 452 square feet. All rooms have a king bed with a sustainable luxury mattress and cotton bedding and a desk area opposite with a large HD Smart tv.
The mini bar is stocked with boutique and upmarket brands plus trinkets. There's complimentary tea and a coffee machine with a filtered water tap in each room and this ends up being a much used feature during our stay. The bottles of water are not included (we made the mistake of thinking they were).
There is a roomy lounge area with a comfortable 3 person lounge that looks out to floor to ceiling windows. Soft robes and a safe are tucked away in the wardrobe along with a yoga mat and a cork roller while slippers are in a box under the sink. The bathroom is equipped with Bamford toiletries and a walk in rain shower with a privacy curtain.
A 5 minute hourglass gently reminds guests to take shorter more eco friendly showers. There are plenty of USB and plugs by the bed and in the room and each switch is labelled and the lights can easily be dimmed or brightened. None of the rooms at 1 Hotel Melbourne have balconies but you can open up the top half of the window for fresh air.
Turndown is performed in the late afternoon where sleepy time teas are left on the side of the bed. Guests also have the option to leave a piece or two of clothing behind and 1 Hotel will pass it onto a charity partner who will give it to someone in need through their "1 Less Thing" program.
And 1 Hotel has removed all single use plastics in rooms, mini bars, restaurants and amenities. Instead water is served from upcycled glass bottles made from recycled wine bottles or ceramic jugs.
Bamford Spa
When the weather turns chilly as it is wont to do in Melbourne, it's time to get ensconced in the hotel where you never have to leave. And the most relaxing indoor activity is a spa treatment at Bamford Spa. The spa chain was originally founded by British wellness pioneer Carole Bamford in the English countryside and this is her first Australian spa.
The spa itself is stunning with creamy textured stone, wood textures and a water feature at reception. The post treatment room is designed in tones of cream with warm lighting. I have a 90 minute Bamford Signature Ritual with therapist Chanel. We enter the Banksia treatment room where she explains the treatment and I relax on the warm bed. The massage starts from the tips of your toes and makes its way to the top of your head so it's entirely revitalising (and would be great for anyone after a long flight).
I enter a meditative state and 90 blissful minutes later Chanel has some drinks ready for me in the lounge along with some dark chocolate hearts. One drink is designed to help guests sleep and is made with magnesium super powder and passionflower.
The Pool and Gym
The pool is one of the best features of the 1 Hotel Melbourne (which admittedly has many drawcards). It's a heated indoor pool with views of the city and a hot tub. Tucked behind this are the sauna and steam room which is the perfect place to position yourself should the day turn chilly.
Breakfast
Breakfast for inhouse guests and visitors is at From Here by Mike on the ground floor. Breakfast offers an entirely a la carte menu starting with everything from fruit salad and pastries to more substantial brunch offerings. You can also get wellness additions to your smoothies like lion's mane mushroom and bee pollen.
My favourite breakfast is the flat chilli spanner crab omelette with fermented chilli, fennel seeds, crispy onion and snow pea shoots that is so full of flavour and an appealing crispy texture. I opt for some sourdough toast on the side. It is so good that I want to order it again the next day but Mr NQN reminds me that I have to try something else to review it.
His choice is the shokupan ube French toast topped with a spiced poached quince half and fat squiggles of ube custard. Although I'm not a massive sweets person, we both devour this with gusto.
Another thing to note is that a room service breakfast is the same price as eating in From Here by Mike but also includes a classic Continental or Big Breakfast option too. The menu is more limited than in the restaurant but I am happy to report that the spanner crab omelette is available on room service.
Crane Bar
Crane Bar is a light filled, nature inspired riverside cocktail bar and lounge with indoor and outdoor seating. With huge floor to ceiling windows and large comfortable chairs and lounges, it's either a spot for a drink prior to dining at From Here by Mike or a great place for a quick snack or dinner. The food for Crane Bar comes from From Here By Mike so you can get all of your favourites like the oysters or delve into other things.
All of the cocktails have tasting notes next to them so you have an idea what to expect. We order two of their signature cocktails, the Seafarer's Martini with olive oil washed Gindu Coastal Gin, saltbush & rosemary infused Maidenii Dry Vermouth, saline and Mount Zero Green Olives for Mr NQN. The hotel's location is right next to the Seafarer's Association. For me, it's a Second life Spritz with Three Foxes Rosella Gin, Second Life Wine, rosemary, native thyme, Blanc de Blanc and raspberry with raspberry powder brushed on the side of the glass which is perfect for my taste.
The tuna tostada is a textural delight with a generous amount of sashimi grade wild tuna with spiced mayonnaise and a gloriously thick and creamy avocado cream piped on top.
The hash brown is a slender homemade hash brown or potato pave topped with fermented chilli mascarpone with shavings of Bruny Island C2 Cheddar cheese snow on top.
And for something rich and delicious, try the duck rillette on a brown butter crumpet and leaves of radicchio for an interplay between bitter, soft, spongy and luscious.
Or just go for half a dozen of the oysters they are famous for with pickled daikon and finger lime mignonette!
Things to Do Around 1 Hotel Melbourne
Go for a river stroll - when Melbourne wants to turn on the weather it does so spectacularly.
Take one of their ebikes and explore Melbourne. Southbank & South Melbourne Market are a 20 and 25 minute walk away respectively.
DFO South Wharf shopping centre is just across the Seafarer's bridge outside the hotel.
South Melbourne Markets is an easy, flat stroll around 25 minute walk away and is a fantastic place to shop at with great homewares and a branch of Agathe Patisserie and their famous pandan croissants and cakes. There's a branch of Hector's Deli right near it.
Crown Casino is a short walk away.
So tell me Dear Reader, how important is sustainability when choosing a luxury hotel? Are you someone who uses hotel facilities like pools, saunas and bikes or do you mainly use your hotel as a place to sleep?
NQN and Mr NQN were guests of 1 Hotel Melbourne but all opinions remain her own.
1 Hotel Melbourne
9 Maritime Place, Docklands VIC 3008
Phone: +61 3 7053 0888
www.1hotels.com/melbourne
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