Imagery courtesy of TFE Hotels.

Australian group, TFE Hotels, has inked a two-hotel deal within a first-of-its-kind mixed-use development in Melbourne’s docklands, with local developer and hotel owner Capital Alliance.

The double tower project will feature the first purpose-built Collection by TFE Hotels and A by Adina properties in the major national city.

High end heights

The $340 million development is being designed by compatriot company SJB and will serve as a ‘placemaker’ for Melbourne.

Featuring the largest rooftop infinity pool in Australia, the construction will house a 1,000-person capacity event conference centre located on a sky bridge that connects the two accommodation towers. The site will also include a day spa, retail shopping, and restaurant offerings.

Hotel pair

The onsite 200-key, yet-to-be-named Collection hotel will join the ranks of other purpose-built Collection by TFE Hotels properties including The Calile in Brisbane and Auckland’s The Hotel Britomart and a new Surry Hills Collection property currently under development in Sydney.

Complementing this offering is the 105-key premium A by Adina hotel – the first of the brand to launch in Victoria following the opening of flagship hotels in Sydney and Canberra in 2021 – striking a balance between a hotel and a private city apartment.

Architectural landmark

SJB founding director, Michael Bialek, said Capital Alliance’s latest docklands project, which is set to open in 2026, would become an architectural landmark on the Melbourne skyline.

“Our design inspiration was drawn from natural elements such as sculpted landscape forms and the proximity to the Yarra River. We have also blurred the division between inside and outside to maximise daylight and those all-important city skyline and uninterrupted water views.”

Saving the best for last

Capital Alliance’s CEO, Mohan Du, said that after eight years of developing in the docklands, he was on to his last parcel site in the precinct. “As the saying goes, you save the best for last and these one-of-a-kind hotels will be uniquely different to other accommodation offerings in Melbourne,” he said. “I know when we welcome guests and the public in 2026, we’ll be able to proudly showcase the legacy we’ve left behind with tremendous pride.”

Mohan reported that Capital Alliance was doubling down its exposure to hotels because he believes there will be continued demand for purpose-built hotel offerings. “Our partnership with TFE was born and galvanised during the uncertainty of the pandemic. It may sound cliche 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.”

Unique to the neighbourhood

TFE Hotels Group COO, Chris Sedgwick, added: “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. It’s therefore incredibly important to TFE and our brands that, when we are looking for opportunities to partner, we seek out legacy makers, who have a passion and a genuine connection to the places they operate in – we believe we’ve found that in Mo and Capital Alliance.

“We love that Mo 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. And we’re thrilled to partner with them on this next phase of development. We are very much looking forward to breaking ground early next year.”

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