Australia’s first Hyatt Place business hotel officially opened in Melbourne last night, with a star-studded celebration featuring special guests including Victorian Premier Darren Andrews, Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester, pop star Guy Sebastian, as well as the joint owners of Essendon Fields Lindsay Fox and Max Beck.

The 166-key property, which is positioned directly between the CBD and the airport, has been pitched as both a business and leisure destination and forms part of a multi-use precinct comprised of office spaces, a hospital, a DFO outlet and supermarkets.

The officially cake-cutting ceremony. Photo credit: Bonnie Tai.

There are also plenty of onsite amenities for guests to enjoy such as complimentary wi-fi, a free Gallery Kitchen Breakfast, a 24/7 Gallery Menu, a coffee to cocktails bar, more than 80 square metres of meeting spaces plus a 24 hour StayGit gym.

Essendon Fields chief executive officer Chris Cowan told guests last night that the debut of the new Hyatt Place “opens the front door of Essendon Fields to the rest of Melbourne”.

“Not only is it strategically located at the entrance to Essendon Fields, but it will also make it possible for business or busy travellers to meet, organise conferences of just stay in Melbourne’s north-west, a region that supports more people than the Gold Coast,” he said.

However, co-owner Max Beck remained modest about his achievements, telling the audience that it was just that “a chippy and a trucky got lucky…and we certainly did with Essendon Fields”.

Hyatt Place Essendon Fields is located at 1 English Street, Essendon Fields 3041.