A new luxury hotel expansion by Meriton Suites has opened its doors in the heart of Canberra.
The 16-level hotel by Meriton Suites has 280 rooms and facilities including a fitness centre, an indoor heated swimming pool, spa and sauna.
The company invested $400 million into developing three new luxury hotels in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.
Located at 40 Allara Street in Civic, Canberra's first Meriton hotel was designed by Fender Katsalidis. The architectural firm has also designed Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art.
Suite sizes range from studio apartments to three-bedroom layouts. One-bedroom suites make up about 45 per cent of the rooms. One and two-bedrooms span the first 11 levels with larger rooms on the upper levels.
Last year residents of a Civic apartment block expressed concern at the proximity of the neighbouring Meriton building.
They said the Meriton hotel stood just metres from their apartment and were perplexed by planning decisions which allowed the buildings to sit so close together.
The hotel plans had been in the works for several years.
The Canberra Times reported in 2019 about Meriton's pre-development application.
Context plans for the site said the development would "improve the architectural design in this area of the city which includes a number of ageing office developments".
Meriton Group director Harry Triguboff said the group was excited by the opening of three new Meriton Suites.
"Our investment into these new markets is a clear demonstration of our confidence in the continued growth of the domestic and international inbound markets, and the ongoing demand for luxury apartment-style hotels for the modern traveller," he said.
