Darwin is about to get a new kind of hotel hangout, with The Leea beginning its transformation under Western Australian hospitality group Prendiville Group, while inviting locals to help shape its next chapter.
The 168-room property on Cavenagh Street unveiled the first stage of its new identity last month with Lido, a fully renovated poolside food and beverage space designed to bring locals, visitors and hotel guests together.
At the heart of the project is a reimagined poolside oasis featuring made-to-order cocktails, wines exclusive to Darwin and a seasonal menu showcasing produce from the Top End. The venue is intended to feel more like a local social hub than a traditional hotel bar, with an emphasis on relaxed hospitality and connection.
Before Lido opens, The Leea is asking Darwin locals to contribute photographs, keepsakes and stories to a time capsule that will be buried on site and sealed until 2046.
The capsule is designed to capture a snapshot of Darwin in 2026 and mark the beginning of The Leea’s tenure at a property with a long and varied history. The site began life as police training barracks in 1969 before becoming the Mirambeena Resort Hotel in 1987, followed by the Travelodge Resort and now The Leea.
The initiative reflects Prendiville Group’s intention to acknowledge the property’s history while taking a long-term approach to its future.
The family-owned group operates more than 20 accommodation and hospitality venues across Australia, including The Cottesloe Beach Hotel, Samphire Rottnest, Mangrove Hotel Broome and Pier 21 Apartment Hotel.
The broader transformation of The Leea will unfold over the next 18 months, with award-winning interior design studio Collectivus leading the redesign and developing the property’s wider visual identity.
Food and beverage will be overseen by nationally recognised chef and Prendiville Group Director of Food Russell Blaikie, with the offering reflecting the group’s focus on produce-driven dining and considered hospitality.
The Leea will also retain six function spaces catering to everything from intimate boardroom meetings to events of up to 200 guests. Located around ten minutes from Darwin International Airport, the CBD property is well positioned for both business and leisure travellers.
The long-term ambition is for The Leea to become a genuine local haunt, with its poolside spaces deliberately designed without the distractions of screens and technology, creating room for conversation and connection.
For Darwin, the redevelopment represents more than a hotel refresh. It is an attempt to give a well-known CBD property a new lease on life while keeping a connection to the community and the decades of history that came before it.
Locals can contribute to the time capsule until September 16, with the collection to be sealed before Lido opens.
“This is the beginning of a new chapter for The Leea and a new tourism offering for Darwin: an elevated boutique lifestyle hotel that reflects the unique, laid-back energy of the city, curated for both corporate and leisure travellers,” says Prendiville Group Regional CEO Garrett Prendiville.
