East Hotel-Canberra

 

 

East Hotel has quickly established itself as Canberra’s premier design and lifestyle hotel. With its focus on providing a memorable Canberra experience and its premium location between the fashionable retail and restaurant hubs of Manuka and Kingston, East Hotel ups the ante for visitors to Canberra.

East Hotel provides a contemporary, cool and vibrant option for visitors to Canberra, Australia’s capital city, whether overnighters, business guests, long stay guests or families. 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, with Joe’s Bar serving Italian Cuisine and with an excellent Italian wine selection,.. and its associated Muse Wine Bar and Library having become an instant classic.

“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 a vibrant new personality, representing a side to Australia’s capital that many may not have experienced.”

When the site in downtown Canberra 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. As an established Canberra businessman, Dan was uniquely placed, both in terms of local knowledge and the ability to assemble a team of professionals with both local and international expertise to work on the project. 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 for locals”, said Rodney Moss. “We designed a real building – city-style, built boundary to boundary.  The public areas on the ground floor have a generous sense of intimacy and sophistication.

The aim was for excellence, formal in its composition but carefully articulated and detailed. Polished pre-cast concrete and metal pans provide distinction to the exterior facades while very refined glazing and recycled timber add character, warmth and intimacy to the interiors.”

 

 

Welcoming guests at East Hotel is a spacious, soaring central atrium, cleverly utilizing both natural and installed light to provide a warm atmosphere with areas to relax and meet in front of a large, open fireplace. 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, which allows for a degree of autonomy many travelers enjoy.  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, X-Box Kinect and other little kiddy touches. X-Boxes and board games are also available from the Guest Services desk for use in other rooms.

 

The staff at East Hotel are “savvy and knowledgeable” about what to see and where to go 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.

During special event dinners at the hotel’s restaurant, Joe’s Bar , a special ‘kid’s room’ can be organized with child-friendly shows on a big screen, activities and snacks.

The General Manager  believes that exemplary service is the cornerstone to the success of East Hotel. “Once guests come through our doors, we want people to connect with people,” he commented. “Our staff are passionate locals who can not only escort you to your room but also advise you on places to go and how to get the most out of your stay.”

Guests can enjoy a wide range of facilities and services, including a professional and full service business centre; 24 hour gym facility and complementary access to a local gym for a full range of exercise classes; undercover parking; the East Hotel ‘Free Range’ news agency service offered in the lobby, where guests can pick up a daily newspaper, books or current and back issue of magazines to enjoy in the relaxing surrounds of the lobby or in the seclusion and comfort of their rooms and a friendly and accessible front desk team, including full concierge service. Guests can see the sights with a leisurely cruise on one of the Hotel’s retro bicycles or hire an electric bike to see the sights without breaking a sweat. There are laundry facilities in the majority of rooms, with complimentary facilities for guests in studios. Professional dry cleaning and laundry service is available from Monday to Friday.

 

 

 

 

East Hotel’s business facilities are state-of-the-art with seven modern and professional 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. All rooms feature the latest in business technology, including VGA and HDMI capable projection screens and huge LED televisions. The concept behind the conference rooms is to provide business areas with a bit of flair, to inspire and get the creative juices flowing.

East Hotel offers competitive pricing on “day delegate packages” which are custom-tailored for each group by the Food Director, in coordination with the client and prepared on-site by Ox’s two-hatted chef and his highly skilled team to provide a sharing, interactive experience. Group events can even enjoy whiskey master-classes from the well-trained aficionados at Ox, utilizing their huge selection of fine and distinctive whiskeys.

 

 

 

The Hotel also has a vibrant food precinct in the main atrium. Ox Eatery, owned and managed by highly successful local restaurateurs, Chris Hansen and Steve Rockmann, features a delicatessen and an authentic imported French rotisserie with intimate booths, long bar tables and private dining areas. Ox Eatery draws on vintage 1950s style, with a thoughtfully considered ‘soulful jazz’ feel designed by Capezio Copeland in conjunction with Matt Darwon, featuring recycled timber, smooth surfaces and booths. The French rotisserie, the first of its kind in Canberra, is front and centre. Groups are welcomed and can enjoy private dining in one of the Hotel’s special meeting rooms. Guests are able to pre-order items, including bespoke hampers from the delicatessen using the hotel website upon booking, or wander down to peruse the large selection of carefully selected delicacies, produce and wines. The large bar area is a standalone destination to enjoy the vibrant neighborhood it inhabits.

 

 

 

East Hotel has been developed by Bisa Hotels and is the first of many future projects for the hotel group.

Within its first year of operation, East Hotel has won four local awards and a national award as Best Suite/Apartment Hotel at the 2013 Australian Hotels Association (AHA) National Awards for Excellence, which recognizes hotels and restaurants that demonstrate outstanding services, accommodation, entertainment, food and beverage.

East Hotel