After eight years of investment, Victorian trailblazers Sand Hill Road will reopen the all-new The Waterside Hotel, revealing its transformation into a seven-level worldclass hospitality destination.
Located in midtown, on the corner of Flinders and King streets, a pub was established on the site in 1853, on the bank of the Yarra River. The wharf-side pub serviced wharf workers, opening at 7am, and developed a rough reputation.
The Yarra was redirected in the late 1800s to allow for the Flinders Street rail lines, and a replacement hotel came in 1925. But its notoriety continued, with Judge Fraser of the Licensing Court reportedly describing the Waterside in 1952 as “the dirtiest in Melbourne”.
One of the city’s most historic pub sites, it has now undergone five-year rebuild that gutted the old building, with only the heritage-listed façade remaining.
Behind and above is a modern new structure of concrete, glass and steel, including the addition of four storeys; patrons enter the public bar and beer garden on the ground floor and are surrounded by a seven-storey venue that can hold 1,000 people, replete with a rooftop cocktail bar and outdoor space, and event spaces.
Each level has a terrace or balcony that wraps around the central void, offering lush gardens and panoramic city views. A core part of the design was the total of 1,825 plants, prompting Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece to call it the “hanging garden of Flinders Street” during the planning approval process.
Guests will enjoy immersive dining and drinking experiences, starting with modern Australian pub fare at street level, beneath three-level south-east Asian restaurant Past Port, serving the likes of tom yum prawn dumplings, and sambal and spanner crab Pad Thai.
The Waterside now boasts three kitchens, and the entire food program is coordinated by executive chef Sarah Chan, who was an integral part of The Espy’s Mya Tiger.
The massive redevelopment was in collaboration with Technē Architecture and interior designer Eleisha Gray.
Sand Hill Road was established in 1999 by five mates: brothers Matt and Andy Mullins, Andrew Larke, Doug Maskiell and Tom Birch. They have built a massive reputation for reinvigorating celebrated Melbourne pubs, such as the Richmond Club Hotel, award-winning Garden State Hotel in Melbourne’s CBD, and indomitable The Espy in St Kilda.
The group went on to sell first the freehold of The Espy for $64 million, then the broader leasehold portfolio – counting the The Espy, The Posty, Holliava, Richmond Club, and Garden State, Bridge, Prahran and Terminus hotels – to Australian Venue Co in 2022, for around $100 million.
The Waterside was acquired in 2017, at the same time as the then tired Esplanade Hotel, and it went on to become the only venue Sand Hill Road retained. As such it has enjoyed the group’s undivided visionary focus in recent years.
In 2019 Waterside was gutted in preparation for the renovation, and just as work was to begin on the build, COVID closed everything.
The resumed, revised works were projected to cost $27 million in 2023, but the ballooning cost of construction and compliance have resulted in a “massive” investment, according to Matt Mullins, who says this build is “the culmination of decades” of experience revitalising Melbourne pubs.
“We’re deeply passionate about breathing new life into treasured venues, and we felt that now was the perfect time to revive The Waterside Hotel – restoring this iconic landmark while offering something truly unique for Melbourne, that is on a global scale.”
The SHR director notes how much the precinct has evolved from being the “dodgy strip in Melbourne” it has been practically since Europeans arrived in the area in 1834, and he hopes the reincarnation reflects its present position.
“The Waterside Hotel is not just about grand design – it’s about how people connect to the rooms, the mood, and each other.
“We’ve strived to create something that carries the soul of a Melbourne pub, but on a scale and ambition that feels truly world-class,” he says.
The Waterside Hotel is slated to open to the public in November.
