Melbourne's The Mulberry Group Checks into the Hannah St Hotel
MELBOURNE SOUTHBANK: This summer, The Mulberry Group will open five new venues inside Hannah St Hotel - Melbourne’s most anticipated hotel opening of the year - creating a rhythm of hospitality that flows from morning coffee and pastry to late-night cocktails and snacks.
The Mulberry Group Founder, Nathan Toleman, has redefined Melbourne’s café landscape through venues like Top Paddock, The Kettle Black, and Higher Ground that helped shape the modern Melbourne dining experience. Today, the group operates Hazel, Dessous, Lilac Wine, Molli, and Heide Kitchen. With the Hannah St collaboration, he has created a collection of venues that feel unmistakably Melbourne at their core and, in doing so, realized a lifelong dream to bring hospitality, design, and community together under one roof.
“From a young age, I’ve been obsessed with hotels – the excitement of checking in, exploring every corner, and discovering the magic of each space. Some of my best memories are tied to hotels: Ett Hem in Stockholm, Chiltern Firehouse in London, and Chateau Marmont in LA,” Toleman said. “For me, a hotel represents an escape from the outside world – a place where every detail tells a story.”
“With Hannah St, we wanted to capture that same sense of wonder and excitement, but with a Melbourne heartbeat. A place that feels alive, authentic, and inclusive — not just for travellers, but for locals too.”
The 188-room Hannah St Hotel is set to open this summer and is the latest visionary project from celebrated interior architect David Flack and his award-winning Melbourne-based team at Flack Studio. Renowned for their high-end residential work, the hotel marks a bold continuation of the studio’s expansion into commercial design—one that Flack himself describes as “a career highlight.”
Hotel General Manager Peter Minatsis welcomed The Mulberry Group’s local know-how and their expertise in creating vibrant culinary destinations, saying the creative partnership with the hotel promised to deliver a fresh, immersive offering that reflected the cultural spirit of contemporary Melbourne.
“Hannah St Hotel offers more than just a place to stay - it’s an experience that will deliver the best of Melbourne’s cultural identity in one exciting destination,” Minatsis said. “From our locally inspired interiors by Flack Studio to the curated art, food, and design collaborations, every detail is curated to reflect the city’s creative spirit.
Five Venues, Woven Into Melbourne Life:
The Mulberry Group will operate five distinct venues under one roof, each designed to reflect Melbourne’s layered food culture while adding something new to the mix. From morning coffee runs to late-night soundtracks, these venues will be seamlessly woven into the rhythm of the hotel and the city beyond.
Hannah St Coffee: Designed as Melbourne’s morning ritual, this hole-in-the-wall café will serve Melbourne-made Square One Coffee, freshly baked pastries, warm cinnamon scrolls, and produce-driven sandwiches and salads.
Coupette Corner Bistro & Bar: From early morning breakfast to long lunches, after-work drinks, and late suppers, Coupette will offer a produce-driven, European-inspired neighbourhood bistro menu with a distinct Melbourne sensibility.
Terrace Lounge: A rooftop venue with sweeping views of Southbank, the Terrace Lounge doubles as a vibrant multipurpose event space and a celebration of Melbourne’s outdoor dining culture - long lunches by day and a sparkling scene of cocktails and music by night.
Bar Hannah: The quintessential lobby bar reimagined as a neighbourhood hub. In the morning, it is perfect for locals and guests easing into their day. From afternoon into evening, Bar Hannah transforms into a plush cocktail bar with an elevated snack menu and curated wine list.
The Carriage Lounge: Elegant, moody, and intimate, The Carriage Lounge is designed as a calm retreat. Whether it’s a pre-dinner glass of wine, a late-night whisky, or an intimate chat, it offers the sophistication of a private living room with the comfort of a favourite local haunt.
Developed by Time & Place, in partnership with construction specialists Hickory, MaxCap Group, and TFE Hotels, the $150 million, 188-room hotel forms part of the landmark Queensbridge precinct - a new mixed-use development designed to breathe new life into Southbank.
Hannah St is also ideally positioned to complement the nearby $1.7 billion Melbourne Arts Precinct transformation and elevate the area’s tourism, hospitality, and cultural appeal.
"Partnering with the Mulberry Group means the hotel’s F&B will be led by a deep understanding of the neighbourhood and what works at a boutique level,” said Time & Place’s Tim Price. "We like the idea of celebrating our state in our menu choices, of being Melbourne in the way our bar works, or our little secret hideaway works.”
The Mulberry Group’s new venues are set to open this summer, with more details to be revealed in the coming months.
Visit hannahsthotel.com for more information.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Jodi Clark - TFE Hotels (Director of Communications): +61 499 900 658 / [email protected]
Rebecca Astier - Glasshouse Communications (PR Consultant working with TFE on the launch of Hannah St Hotel Melbourne): +61 417 667 042 / [email protected]
Nathan Toleman – The Mulberry Group (Founder): [email protected]
MORE ABOUT HANNAH ST HOTEL MELBOURNE
Opening this summer in Melbourne’s vibrant Southbank, Hannah St Hotel is a striking new addition to the city’s skyline. Designed by Melbourne-based Flack Studio, the hotel blends modern nostalgia with a deep appreciation for culture, community, and culinary excellence.
With 188 uniquely styled rooms, Hannah St Hotel is part of the Collection by TFE Hotels – a portfolio of one-of-a-kind properties, each committed to quality design, exceptional experiences, and connection to their community.
The hotel’s name pays tribute to Patrick Hanna, a pioneering engineer and shipbuilder from Glasgow who arrived in Melbourne in 1853. At the height of the gold rush, Hanna operated a punt across the Yarra River, connecting the emerging township of Emerald Hill (now South Melbourne) with the bustling northern docks and marketplaces. His route would eventually evolve into Kings Way – one of Melbourne’s grand avenues.
Today, Hannah St Hotel stands on a site once known as Hanna Street, a lane that quietly adopted an extra ‘H’ over time. This subtle transformation mirrors the city’s own evolution – from gold rush boomtown to cultural capital – and anchors the hotel in a rich historical narrative that continues to shape Melbourne’s identity. http://www.hannahsthotel.com
What’s in a name: Hannah St Hotel Melbourne can be shortened to Hannah St or Hannah St Hotel
Website: http://www.hannahsthotel.com
F&B Creative Partner: The Mulberry Group
Developer: Time & Place
Joint Venture Partners: MaxCap Group and Hickory Group
Architect: Fraser & Partners
Interior Design: David Flack, Flack Studios
Operator: TFE Hotels
Brand: Collection by TFE Hotels
Importantly, Hannah St Hotel Melbourne is an independently owned, one-of-a-kind hotel and brand, operated by TFE Hotels. Additionally, while Hannah St Hotel shares its interior design studio, Flack Studio, with Ace Hotel Sydney, there is no brand connection between the two hotels.
ABOUT COLLECTION BY TFE HOTELS
A collection of independent and unique hotels in Australia and New Zealand, each committed to quality design, exceptional experience, and connection to their community. https://collectionbytfehotels.com/
ABOUT THE MULBERRY GROUP
Founded in 2011 by Nathan Toleman, The Mulberry Group is a Melbourne-based hospitality collective known for creating spaces that blend creativity, community, and conscience. Its award-winning portfolio including Hazel, Dessous, Lilac Wine, Liminal, Molli, Heide Kitchen, and Square One Coffee Roasters has helped define Melbourne’s modern dining scene.
Beyond its venues, The Mulberry Group is the force behind Common Ground Project, a regenerative farm and social enterprise that provides education, training, and employment opportunities to women and young people facing disadvantage. Guided by the belief that hospitality can be a force for good, The Mulberry Group continues to push the boundaries of what modern, purpose-driven dining can be, one meaningful experience at a time.
MEET NATHAN TOLEMAN
Nathan Toleman’s journey into the hospitality industry began early. After completing Year 12, he studied Hotel Management at William Angliss College, before going on to run hotels in Melbourne and Cairns. Those formative years, working in grand lobbies, diving deep into the heart of restaurants, immersed in soulful rooms filled with life and endless stories to tell, sparked a fascination that drives his passion for the hospitality industry at large.
“I’ve always dreamed of returning to hotels,” Nathan says. “To me, they represent the ultimate intersection of service, design, and human connection.”
“What I’ve learned over the past two decades is that hospitality, when done well, is deeply meaningful. It can change how people feel, how they connect, and even how they see themselves. Hannah St is a chance to bring all of that together under one roof, everything I’ve learned, loved, and intentionally crafted blended into one building.”
Following his early hotel career, Nathan went on to redefine Melbourne’s café landscape through Top Paddock, The Kettle Black, and Higher Ground, venues that helped shape the modern Melbourne dining experience. Today, his group operates Hazel, Dessous, Lilac Wine, Molli, and Heide Kitchen, as well as Common Ground Project, a regenerative farm and social enterprise providing food relief and employment pathways for marginalised communities.
“At The Mulberry Group, we’ve always believed in using hospitality as a force for good,” Nathan explains. “Hannah St Hotel gives us a platform to express that at scale. Allowing us to create something creatively ambitious, socially meaningful, and commercially strong.”