IHG Hotels & Resorts' first Australian dual-branded hotel, a Hotel Indigo and a Holiday Inn, is set to open in the Melbourne CBD towards the end of this year.

Designed by global design studio Buchan and located within the new Melbourne Walk development, the Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins draws on the vibrant history and colourful characters of early Melbourne, using the city’s stories to create a unique and engaging guest experience.

“Buchan’s design for Hotel Indigo focuses on creating a bespoke, local experience with a strong sense of place. The result is a hotel that invites guests to connect with Melbourne’s rich history while enjoying a modern, immersive stay that reflects the true spirit of the location,” says Project Architect at Buchan, Hayden Djakic.

The design takes cues from the site's quirky, historic retailers such as E.W Cole, Sidney Myer and James Hosie. Every element of the design reflects the neighbourhood’s heritage, from fabrics reminiscent of Sidney Myer’s original haberdashery business to nods to E.W. Cole’s ‘Emporium of Everything'.

Furnishings and fittings reflect James Hosie’s taste for eastern opulence. These historical references are woven into the hotel’s interiors, seamlessly blending storytelling and discovery.

The hotels are part of Melbourne Walk, an exciting mixed-use development in Melbourne’s retail heart and the first built project in Bourke Street Mall in more than 50 years.

Buchan is delivering the architecture and interior design on the entire Melbourne Walk project for client Steadfast Capital. The 3,600sqm site will become the centrepiece of the Bourke Street Mall revitalisation, and includes 6,000sqm of retail.

Djakic says the redevelopment knits together a collection of buildings and pays homage to the site's rich heritage.

"The historic facades of four iconic buildings - Diamond House, Public Benefit Bootery, Allan's and the York Building - have been restored. Internally, a network of pedestrian arcades will link through from Bourke Street to Little Collins, building on the tradition of Melbourne's celebrated arcades and laneways."

A new 9-metre-high arcade takes inspiration from the neighbouring Royal and Block arcades, in a modern take on the rhythm, volume and light-filled interiors of its much-loved nineteenth-century forebears.

Melbourne Walk builds on Buchan's significant portfolio of projects delivered in the Melbourne CBD across the firm's 130-year history. Construction is being led by Hickory.

Images: IHG Hotels & Resorts' dual-branded hotel by Buchan / supplied

Clémence Carayol

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