Starwood Hotels has opened its first 1 Hotel in Australia – 1 Hotel Melbourne – with a Bamford Wellness Spa, created in partnership with organic and sustainable living pioneer Carole Bamford.

The 227-key hotel and its 114 residences (under the 1 Homes brand) have been developed in partnership with Melbourne-based asset management group Riverlee.

The property sits along 220 metres of land overlooking the Yarra River in the city’s North Wharf precinct and is part of a mixed-use development called Seafarers which is transforming a section of Melbourne's Northbank into a vibrant riverfront precinct.

The design

The design of the hotel is shaped by nature and the city’s history. It was created by FK Architecture and One Design Office in collaboration with Starwood Capital Group's in-house team.

The hotel is home to Melbourne’s last remaining heritage goods shed from the city’s shipping heyday – originally built in 1895 and crucial to the maritime economy before it fell into disuse in the 1970s. Decommissioned railway bridges have been transformed into a sweeping staircase and the reception desk is made with repurposed elm trees from Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel works.

The biophilic design uses reclaimed wood from the city’s salvaged subaquatic piers, with preserved moss. There are also more than 7,000 plants throughout the property. The developers have installed shower timers, solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system, smart thermostats and energy saving switches too.

The property

The Bamford Wellness Spa

A spokesperson for 1 Hotel Melbourne told Spa Business “The vision was to create a space where guests can reconnect with themselves and the natural world through holistic, nature-led treatments.”

The Bamford Spa is located on a dedicated wellness floor, alongside a Field House 24-hour gym with equipment by Technogym.

Created by Carole Bamford in the English countryside, the Bamford Spa concept brings her approach to sustainable and organic living to Melbourne. Treatments use natural and organic products designed to nurture mind, body, and spirit and leave a lasting sense of calm and restoration.

The spa has five treatment rooms, including one couples’ room. Three of the treatment rooms are equipped with private steam showers. Oakworks has supplied ergonomic massage beds within the treatment rooms.

There's also an indoor pool, a vitality pool and hydrothermal experiences such as a dry sauna and a steamroom (by Helo Sauna).

Guests also have access to a co-ed space for unwinding post or pre-treatment called the Woodland relaxation lounge. This is where guests can use the Welnamis touchless treatment bed by the Gharieni Group, combining sound, vibration, and binaural audio therapy.

Treatments

Bamford therapies drive the spa menu and the Bamford Signature ritual at this city spa is a 90-minute full body experience. It combines Shiatsu and Swedish massage, warm shakra stones for energetic alignment, facial acupressure, Indian head massage and yogic breathwork for relaxation. This treatment costs AU$330 (US$217, €184, £158).

In addition to Bamford skincare therapies, the spa also offers Hydrafacial treatments, Celluma LED light therapy, Knesko Skin collagen masks, Hypervolt percussion massage therapy and Normatec compression boots.

In-room wellness offerings allow guests to create a personalised ritual in the privacy of their room or suite, with curated equipment available to hire. These products include Signature Sleep Therapy featuring the HigherDose infrared PEMF mat and Therabody SmartGoggles.

Alena Stavnjak, corporate director of spa and retail at Starwood Hotels told Spa Business, “We’re proud to introduce the first Bamford Wellness Spa in Australia at 1 Hotel Melbourne. It’s designed to provide guests with a truly immersive experience – one that honours natural ingredients and holistic care, while embracing modern wellbeing. We’re proud to create a sanctuary that supports lasting balance in today’s fast-paced world.”

Other wellness experiences at the hotel

The hotel has a curated calendar of events that cover wellness, fitness, food, art and culture. Wellness experiences include sunrise river runs, guided breathwork sessions and a DIY salt-blending workshop.

Full moon sound healing sessions, seasonal tastings, wine and cheese evenings and cocktail events are also on offer.

About Starwood Hotels

Starwood Hotels, an affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group, is a sustainable hotel brand management company that operates 1 Hotels, a nature-inspired lifestyle brand that launched in 2015 with properties in South Beach (Miami) and Manhattan in the US.

There are 1 Hotels in the US, Canada, China and the UK, while projects are in development for Mexico, Greece and Saudi Arabia, as well as additional properties in the UK and US.

"The opening of 1 Hotel Melbourne marks a powerful moment for our brand as we expand in the Asia Pacific region," said Barry Sternlicht, 1 Hotels founder and chairman of Starwood Hotels. "As we grow our global footprint, we're focused on markets that reflect our values – places where nature, culture, and innovation converge in meaningful ways. Melbourne is a city that not only understands the importance of sustainability, it celebrates it."