A by Adina Canberra, which opened in late January, describes itself as a hotel living experience – a quietly confident supporting act – perched on the doorstep of the famed Parliamentary Triangle, Lake Burley Griffin, and a buzzing line-up of 'must experience' landmarks. Step inside and you'll find that perfectly suited balance between a hotel and a premium apartment experience.
For TFE Hotels Regional General Manager for ACT, Emma Hynes, the Bates Smart-designed apartment hotel – and centrepiece of Capital Property Group's much-anticipated $300m mixed-use precinct, Constitution Place, complete with its own Melburnian-style laneway (connecting to Canberra Theatre Centre) – wins her vote on show-stopping location and style.
“The thing I love most about this hotel is its intuitive design, followed closely by location,” says Emma of a city that defines Australia's cultural DNA, filled with a treasure-trove of iconic museums, galleries, and institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Australia, National Arboretum, Australian War Memorial, Questacon Science Museum, and Royal Australian Mint... to name just a few.
“Canberra offers so much more. It's more than a place where the country's decisions get made, more than a place you come for great food and wine experiences, and definitely more than most people expect! It's seriously got something for everyone.”
A self-confessed Canberra convert, having moved from Melbourne (via the Whitsundays and Perth), one of Emma's favourite local haunts is Snapper on the Lake, aka Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club's legendary fish 'n' chippery (which, on weekends, serves up live music on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin).
Australia's capital city is also renowned for its eclectic markets; farm-gate produce; a wine region sprouting with 140 vineyards and more than 30 cellar doors; lip-smacking microbreweries and distilleries; two acres of blooming marvellous parklands that burst into life each Spring during the Floriade festival; no end of mountain hiking trails; truffle hunting; and even a NASA base (Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex).
What's more, A by Adina Canberra's own neighbourhood, Constitution Place – which spans 9,000sqm on the illustrious Vernon Circle side of Canberra's arts and cultural hub, London Circuit – breathes new life into the city as a vibrant epicentre for business, politics, culture, dining and socialising.
The precinct's cleverly-designed twinset of striking glass-fronted buildings – a 12-storey tower shared by the hotel and blue-chip commercial tenants, and neighbouring five-storey ACT Legislative Assembly building – create a dynamic theatre laneway, packed with retail and foodie offerings*. Notably including the introduction of acclaimed Meat and Wine Co. to Canberra.
Best of all, Emma knows A by Adina Canberra, under the watchful eye of Hotel Manager Jelena Bojanic, is destined to quietly exceed guests' expectations as a 'home away from home', within walking – or cycling – distance of everything required for business or leisure. Not forgetting, easy access to the National Convention Centre and Canberra Casino.
“I think this elegantly simple hotel will be a drawcard for long-stay guests,” she said. “Perhaps cast and crew from blockbuster productions at Canberra Theatre Centre, looking for a place to call home for a month or more, with the bonus of a 24/7 hotel concierge and convenience of an in-house gym.”
According to TFE Hotel CEO Antony Ritch, A by Adina Canberra – imagined by the same developer and architect as multi award-winning Vibe Hotel Canberra – sets a new precedent when it comes to exceptional room design and use of space.
“Different stays shouldn't need a different hotel each time,” says Ritch. “So, our A by Adinas bring to life the idea of 'hotel living' by embracing the duality of a premium hotel stay with the familiarity that comes from an elevated away-from-home experience.”
Design, space, and personalised service all have their role to play and guests won't feel like they are living out of a suitcase during the stay. And deliberately so.
“Guests can expect thoughtful contemporary Australian design, the quiet confidence of intuitive service that make every day a bit more special, details in the detail and, above all, the freedom to stay their own way” he said.
“All of the apartments (studio, one and two-bedrooms) are beautifully designed – in my opinion, some of the best Adina hotel rooms we have released to date,” Antony said.
Walk through robes are just the start of surprises in store at A by Adina Canberra, where all apartments are, by design, democratically beautiful, says Bates Smart Associate Director, Amelia Donald.
Think functional beauty (including sofa beds, dining tables that moonlight as desks with hidden power/USB compartments, and ingenious sliding/stackable wall panels that expand or contain living areas) and exquisite style. Everything from plush loop carpet to stunning precast concrete feature walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and bathrooms best described as destinations in their own right.
“The bathrooms are designed like jewels,” Amelia said. “In the two-bedroom apartments, the master bedrooms have expansive walk-through robes that lead into bathtub areas and onto standard bathrooms, which can be sectioned off with sliding, frosted panels. The end shower wall features Irish Marble, which is beautifully lit (white with green striations), so it glows like a jewel.”
While A by Adina Canberra's lobby heroes a head-turning, curved ribbon wall of travertine, the most dramatic sense of arrival occurs once guests step into any one of 130 apartments.
“So, it's quite calming, stepping out of the lifts into this moody space, before that moment of walking into light-filled apartments.”
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