That's Built · Building report

Novotel

399-401 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Generated 8 November 2026
Hotel · Commercial Accommodation

126 mheight

37floors

2018completed

0businesses

3permits

Development milestones

Planning application	2009	Planning application TPM-2009-23/C lodged
Approved	By 2017	Planning permit granted (exact date not recorded)
Construction started	Feb 2017	First major construction permit issued
First occupants	Sep 2018	First occupancy permit issued
Completed	2018	Novotel completed: 37 floors

Building team

Developer: Well Smart Investment Holdings
Developer: Riverside Properties
Architect: K2LD Architects
Builder: Crema Constructions
Owner: Well Smart Investment Holdings
Owner: Legend Land Melbourne
Building manager: AccorHotels

Planning & subdivision

Zone: CCZ1
Overlays: DDO1, DDO10, PO1
Strata plan: PS413542 · 1 lots
Scores: 🚆 8 · ☕ 7 · 🌳 7 · ✨ 10

Timeline

6 Jul 2023Novotel and ibis Melbourne Central sold for $170 million
Well Smart Investment Holdings sold the 472-room Novotel and ibis hotel at 399 Little Lonsdale Street for $170 million in an off-market deal to Legend Land Melbourne, a subsidiary of Worldwide Hotels Group, brokered by CBRE Hotels. Reports described it as Melbourne's largest hotel transaction in about six years.

20231 certificate · about $367k of new works
Largest: (Ground and level 4) Alteration to an existing hotel

20201 building permit and 1 certificate · about $385k of new works
Largest: New Internal Shaft Walls

2018Novotel completed: 37 floors
Derived from The Hotel Conversation

Sep 2018First occupancy permit issued
Derived from City of Melbourne building permits

17 Sep 2018Ibis and Novotel open bookings for the dual-branded tower
The 483-room Novotel and ibis Melbourne Central on Little Lonsdale Street was reported as taking bookings from 1 December 2018.

2018Council census records it as commercial accommodation, 38 floors

20181 building permit and 4 certificates · about $233k of new works
Largest: Stage 5: Re-instating car ramp connection to Building 408 Lonsdale Street.

By 2017Planning permit granted (exact date not recorded)
Derived from City of Melbourne Development Activity Monitor

16 Nov 2017Crema Constructions named for 399 Little Lonsdale construction
A November 2017 article on Melbourne's high-rise construction named Crema Constructions as the builder for 399 Little Lonsdale Street, which it covered alongside the neighbouring Union Tower.

1 Aug 2017AccorHotels agrees deal with Well Smart for ibis and Novotel tower
AccorHotels agreed a deal with Singapore-based Well Smart to operate ibis and Novotel hotels in the 36-storey tower, with the hotels due to open in late 2018.

Feb 2017First major construction permit issued
Derived from City of Melbourne building permits

20171 building permit · about $81.8m of new works
Largest: Stage 2: In-ground footings up to ground floor structure

2016Council census records it as unoccupied - under demolition/condemned, 1 floors

7 Nov 2015Ibis and Novotel named as operators for 34-level hotel tower after ministerial approval
Following ministerial approval, Ibis and Novotel were announced as the hotel brands for a 34-level, 125-metre tower at 399 Little Lonsdale Street, designed by K2LD Architects. The announced split was 270 ibis suites and 208 Novotel suites.

29 Sep 2014Revised mixed-use tower scheme proposed for 399 Little Lonsdale Street
In September 2014 a revised scheme for the site was reported as a 56-level, 199-metre mixed-use tower combining apartments and hotel suites. The site was reported to have been sold later in 2014 with planning approval for a 39-storey residential development of 223 apartments.

2012Council census records it as parking - commercial covered, 3 floors

2009Planning application TPM-2009-23/C lodged
Derived from City of Melbourne Development Activity Monitor

2007Council census records it as parking - commercial covered, 3 floors
Name recorded: University City Apartments

2002First council census entry: parking - commercial covered, 3 floors

Building permits and certificates (9)

Each cost is the estimate on that record. Stages of a project often repeat its full value, so these don't add up to what was spent.

26 July 2023	(Ground and level 4) Alteration to an existing hotel	$367k
07 Dec 2020	New Internal Shaft Walls	$385k
22 Sept 2020	Level 1 - Alterations to the existing kitchen entry door on level 1	$5
18 Sept 2018	Stage 1: Bulk Excavation, site retention, piling, ground anchors, capping beams, shotcrete walls	$81.5m
18 Sept 2018	Stage 3: Superstructure	$20.0m
18 Sept 2018	Stage 4: All works to completion	$81.5m
26 June 2018	Stage 5: Re-instating car ramp connection to Building 408 Lonsdale Street.	$81.8m
26 Jan 2018	Demolition of existing carpark building	$233k
01 Feb 2017	Stage 2: In-ground footings up to ground floor structure	$81.5m

Questions and answers

Is Novotel residential or commercial?
Novotel is a hotel or serviced apartments. The City of Melbourne lists its main use as commercial accommodation.

When was Novotel built?
Novotel was completed in 2018.

How many floors does Novotel have?
Novotel has 37 floors above ground.

Does Novotel have hotel or student accommodation?
The City of Melbourne records 483 hotel rooms at Novotel.

Who designed and built Novotel?
Riverside Properties developed Novotel, K2LD Architects designed it and Crema Constructions built it. The building team section has the sources.

How tall is Novotel?
About 126 metres, measured from the City of Melbourne's 3D building model. It's number 80 of 1596 buildings in Melbourne by height.

What public transport is near Novotel?
Melbourne Central Station is the nearest train station, about 4 minutes' walk. The nearest tram stop is Melbourne Central Station/La Trobe St #5, about 2 minutes' walk.

What is the planning zone for Novotel?
The site is in the Capital City Zone - Schedule 1 (CCZ1).

Does Novotel have an owners corporation?
Plan of subdivision PS413542 has 1 lot.

Has Novotel been sold?
Yes. Novotel and ibis Melbourne Central was sold in July 2023 for $170 million.

Has any work been done on Novotel recently?
The City of Melbourne has issued 3 building permits for Novotel since 2017. The most recent was in December 2020.

Sources: City of Melbourne building permits (CC BY 4.0); CLUE building information (CC BY 4.0); CLUE business establishments (CC BY 4.0); Development Activity Monitor (CC BY 4.0); Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) (Open G-NAF EULA (CC BY 4.0 based)). General information from public records, not legal, financial or building advice.