East Hotel opens the doors to a new contemporary design and lifestyle experience in the heart of Australia’s capital city Canberra.
East Hotel, Canberra’s four and a half star contemporary design and lifestyle hotel is now open. With its premium location between the fashionable retail and restaurant hubs of Manuka and Kingston, East Hotel ups the ante for local guests and visitors to the nation’s capital.
East Hotel provides a contemporary, cool and vibrant option for visitors to Canberra. The six-story hotel has 140 rooms in various studio and apartment-style combinations, recognizing the challenges families can face with hotel accommodation by providing specially designated suites, cleverly designed in a modular, fun way specifically to cater for both adults and kids. The hotel has standalone dining and bar facilities.
“We are bringing something fresh to the Canberra market at East Hotel, with great, memorable service and an atmosphere that ensures our visitors and guests feel comfortable, relaxed and inspired,” said Dan Bisa, owner of East Hotel and Director of Bisa Hotels. “We are passionate about creating a happy, happening precinct that showcases the personality representing a side to Canberra that many may not have experienced.”
When the site came up for sale in 2009, Dan recognized that the opportunity was there to realize a long held dream and the East Hotel project began to take shape. Renowned architect, Rodney Moss from Cox Architects has worked closely with Dan to realize the building that was envisioned. “I believe in Canberra having more of a ‘city’ feel, so we have created what we hope will become a hub for travelers to Canberra as well as locals”, said Moss. “We designed a real building – city-style, built boundary to boundary. The aim was for excellence, formal in its composition but carefully articulated and detailed.”
The most striking aspect upon entering the hotel is of overall textured, contemporary design. This has been achieved using recycled timber and a black ceiling with small holes for a ‘limitless sky’ effect. Balancing the rich, dark materials are bright, modern furnishings, artistic and quirky touches and a video installation artfully projected on a towering wall. Art is a central feature of the hotel with works from local artists on display in common areas.
East Hotel was designed as a hotel with more. The rooms are oversized and very flexible in their layout, designed to suit all types of guest, from single business travelers to couples and families. There are kitchen facilities in every room. Families are welcome at East Hotel and are well catered for, including two-bedroom suites with a ‘Kid’s Cubby’, which has bunk beds, child-friendly furnishings.
East Hotel staff is savvy and knowledgeable about activities in Canberra, and are delighted to help guests uncover the experiences that only a true local would be able to share. Maps and listings of the best local sights and activities are available, including cycling maps for when guests take one of the hotel’s bikes out for a spin. East Hotel works with a local babysitting service to provide babysitting at short notice.
Guests can enjoy a wide range of facilities and services, including a full service business centre; 24 hour gym facility; undercover parking. There are laundry facilities in the majority of rooms, with complimentary facilities for those in studios. Professional dry cleaning and laundry service is available Monday – Friday.
East Hotel’s business facilities are state-of-the-art with modern conference rooms, boardrooms and an all-day meeting lounge, complete with air hockey table, to foster the creative environment that leads to the success of any meeting. The facilities have the flexibility to fit perfectly to most business requirements with a distinctively edgy East Hotel touch.
East Hotel has been developed by Bisa Hotels and is the first of many future projects for the hotel group.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
