Sheraton Brand Returns to Melbourne

The iconic Sheraton hotel brand has returned to Melbourne after a nine-year hiatus in the city.

The opening of the five-star Sheraton Hotel Melbourne in Little Collins Street takes Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s property portfolio in Australia to 11 across four brands – Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft.

Sheraton exited the Melbourne hotel market in 2005 when Sheraton Towers Southgate was replaced by The Langham Melbourne.

Sheraton Hotel Melbourne’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Andre Jacques, said Starwood had been looking for the right opportunity to reopen in Melbourne ever since.

Owned by Golden Age Development Group and built by The Buchan Group, the hotel is located on the former site of the ill-fated Naval and Military Club and occupies 14 floors of the 31-storey property.

The hotel features 174 guest rooms, 660 square metres of conference space, a heated indoor lap pool, spa treatment facility and fitness centre.

The hotel’s restaurant, Little Collins St Kitchen, rooftop Terrace Bar and entry foyer were all designed by local Melbourne interior designer, Hecker Guthrie.

Jacques said the hotel already had a solid base of business.

Starwood will almost double its presence in the Pacific region in 2014, with a further four Sheraton hotels set to open in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia by the end of the year.