Capital Alliance and Australia’s TFE Hotels have partnered to develop a first-of-its-kind mixed-use development in Melbourne Docklands, set to open in 2026.
The A$340 million (US$229.7 million) project will feature the largest rooftop infinity pool in Australia and two hotels: the first purpose-built Collection by TFE Hotels with 200 rooms and has yet to be named; and the 105-key premium A by Adina hotel.
The two accommodation towers, connected by a sky bridge, will boast a 1,000-pax capacity event conference centre, surrounded by 360-degree views of the city. There will also be a day spa, retail shopping, and restaurant offerings.
Project designer SJB’s founding director, Michael Bialek, shared that the designs were inspired by natural elements like the sculpted landscape forms and proximity to the Yarra River and that the project would become an architectural landmark on the Melbourne skyline.
“Our partnership with TFE was born and galvanised during the uncertainty of the pandemic. It may sound cliché to say, but there are two things we’re certain of, developing a hotel is incredibly challenging and we have unparalleled confidence in our ability to deliver a world class establishment alongside TFE,” said Capital Alliance, CEO, Mohan Du.
TFE Hotels Group COO, Chris Sedgwick, said: “Each of our one-of-a-kind Collection hotels has a distinct story and, together with A by Adina’s brand premise around hotel living, offer guest experiences that are unique to their neighbourhood.
“We love that Mohan had a vision for Melbourne’s burgeoning Docklands area and that he and the Capital Alliance team have spent the last decade investing in and realising that vision.”
Japan’s move to allow international travellers in without booking a guided package tour since September 7 has injected fresh optimism in tour operators.
Visitors to Japan now require a local sponsor, such as a travel agency, who can track their whereabouts on any given day.
The move is designed to stimulate greater inbound tourism, whose rebound has been slow since tourists were allowed to return on June 10 after more than two years. Only guided tours have been permitted since then, resulting in about 16,000 tourism arrivals between June 10 and the end of August, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.
Jeff Aasgaard, president of Rediscover Japan and Rediscover Tours, described the move as “a step in the right direction.”
“This is great news for us as a specialist whose business is 80 per cent self-guided tailored travel,” said Simon King, co-founder of InsideJapan, adding that the easing of restrictions “in time for Japan’s peak autumn departures is such a relief for us and all our partners on the ground that rely on our customers’ business”.
Geoff Day, COO of Japan Travel, said the move will be “a boon for travel agencies” as independent travellers will need “to book and plan their travel through an accredited travel agency”.
Still, many agents say tourism rules need to be relaxed further for the industry to see a full recovery.
The September 7 development is “not perfect, but progress,” remarked Aasgaard.