A multi-million dollar renovation and refurbishment project will see the former Vibe Savoy Melbourne drop its existing brand and transform into The Savoy Melbourne on Little Collins Street, becoming part of the TFE Hotels Collection.
The 163-room edifice will adopt a design reminiscent of its original 1928 Art Deco façade resembling the Hotel Alexander, located opposite Spencer Street Station. It was originally advertised as the first hotel to offer guests an ensuite bathroom and interior temperature control and was also the venue to give a start to Aussie luminaries such as John Farnham and The Seekers. In its history as The Savoy, it has welcomed global show business icons including Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire as guests.
Inside, a timber and brass layout will complement a selection of colourful rugs and plush furnishings. A level-two restaurant will sit within a ten-storey atrium, naturally lit with chandeliers coming on at night. This colour scheme will also be adopted in a number of meeting rooms and a ballroom.
Rooms will be remodelled with a dove grey, blue, white and charcoal colour scheme, full-length mirrors and custom carpets, with bathrooms to be fitted with white subway tiles and chequerboard black and white tiled floors complete with chrome fittings.
TFE Hotels Chairman Allan Vidor said the classic art deco look would evoke a sense of belonging in historic Melbourne, with the doors to a vibrant and modern city just outside.
“This hotel has such a wonderful story, in its history, and in its place in the Melbourne psyche – which makes it a perfect fit for the TFE Hotels Collection brand,” he said. “This is the most exciting unveil of the year. This magnificent hotel will reclaim its position as a grand hotel of Melbourne, as it was when it opened in 1928.”
The design for the new Savoy Hotel Melbourne on Little Collins has been overseen by Woods Bagot, the same firm which led the works behind Sydney’s Ivy complex and the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The new look Savoy Melbourne on Little Collins will reopen for guests in October.