1 Hotel is about to open the doors on its first property in Melbourne and has indicated Brisbane as a second location for the luxury property brand in Australia.
Speaking to Karryon before a pre-opening event at 1 Hotel Melbourne, as it prepares to open its doors on the Docklands property, Miami-based Global Chief Marketing Officer, Toni Stoeckl says he could imagine Brisbane as a destination for 1 Hotel.
Stoeckl says the brand has been around a decade but is still, however, “in its infancy of growth”.
“It’s not about large scale. We want to grow in the right way. We don’t need to be the biggest… we don’t just shoot into a market open and walk away – we want to be part of the DNA with local partners, so it’s important to be part of the fabric of the community.”
Setting sustainable standards
“We put a lot of focus on connecting people to nature via design, so we bring hotels to life by celebrating nature inside and outside, and showcasing that sustainability and luxury can go hand in hand.”
If figures are anything to go by, it’s done that.
In its Melbourne property, which opens mid-year 2025, there are 2,000 plants inside, and it has incorporated more than 2,000 salvaged materials.
And you can see it everywhere. In the lobby, reclaimed timber from local railway bridges and wharves is used in cladding on walls, and Melbourne’s last remaining original electric crane called ‘Malcolm Moore’ has been restored as part of the design and can be seen through the hotel windows.
Stoeckl says they are not claiming to be the most sustainable hotel in the world, but these types of initiatives are integral to the DNA of the brand.
“Are we perfect, no, and we might not be the greenest hotel everywhere, but we’re focused on doing what we can to be the platform for change and to inspire the industry to be more nature-forward and nature-focused and we’re not greenwashing.”
The evolving luxury traveller
“When we think about the luxury traveller, the point is that it’s an immersive experience catered to them with great food and beverage, a great bar scene where you can let loose, and wonderful wellness, so that’s what they book, but through that, we can introduce to them that you can do something right by the planet.”
He says a tangible way the brand does that is through its ‘1 Less Thing’ initiative, where you can leave behind a gently used piece of clothing (or two), and the hotel donates the items to charity.
“It’s an opportunity for people to leave one thing behind.. it could be a used garment or book, so it’s a great second life for someone else. We collect them and work with a local shelter or organisation to donate them and people love doing that because while they’re having a great time, they still get to do something good.”
“So do people book because of our sustainable initiatives … not necessarily, but what draws you in is an integrated wellness and experience that also does right by the planet.”
For more information, visit 1 Hotel.
