All hands on deck at Rydges Melbourne
The Rydges Melbourne’s multimillion-dollar refurbishment is well underway and is proving to be a multi-faceted project requiring all hands on deck, up to 300 people daily to be exact.
The 19,400 sqm project will see upgrades of all areas of the hotel across 27 floors including 293 standard rooms, 77 suites, pool and fitness areas, conference and events spaces, restaurants and bars.
Top secret new facilities are also being added, as well as seamless technology integrations for guests to experience and enjoy.
Heritage considerations, and surprises
The 1972 building is now a heritage-listed site. Formerly the Bryson Centre which housed Hotel Melbourne within, it was originally built on the premise of a ‘city within a city’. The same can be said for the fully serviced Rydges Melbourne, which will transform into a more modern and comprehensive version, whilst retaining the heritage elements.
Getting a heritage building ready for a full refurbishment requires extensive behind-the-scenes base build works and pre-project due diligence. Thankfully our team is experienced at assessing a building and always ready for the inevitable surprises that get uncovered along the way. No shortcuts are being taken, as the building is undergoing a full-service upgrade and is effectively stripped back to a shell.
One such surprise was unearthed as the flooring was stripped back for the ballroom upgrade – underneath lay the structure of auditorium sloped seating from the early 1970’s which once seated 600 people. Our team is getting to work converting this space and we can’t wait to share the finished result.
Steady as she goes
Level by level, the plastering and painting are on track, electrical works are going in and prototypes of the suite and standard rooms have been staged for client approval.
New window frames complete with locally produced double-glazed glass by Glassworks are progressively being installed by the glazier. Large-scale joinery by Prima Architectural for the common areas is being locally produced off-site and installed bit by bit.
Rydges Melbourne is shaping up to be among the biggest hotel refurbishments in the Southern Hemisphere and we look forward to sharing its progress and the finished result in due course.
Other Hotel Refurbishments
Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
