Prime oceanfront position

What do Studio 54 in New York and this hotel on Burleigh Heads beach have in common? Nothing, it would seem, except that the new Mondrian Gold Coast is the latest chapter in a story that began years ago. That’s when Ian Schrager, founder of the famous nightclub, left the jet-set nights of New York to bring his visionary entrepreneurial experience to the world of hospitality, with an idea that has proven successful over the years: a hotel isn’t just a place to sleep, but a contemporary fairytale to experience. Remaining faithful to the ethos of the former owner of the original Mondrian hotel in Los Angeles, the Ennismore Group, which now manages the brand, chose to entrust its first Australian project to two renowned design studios: Fraser & Partners for the architecture (twin towers whose exteriors mirror the movement of waves and the sinuosity of sand dunes), and California-based Studio Carter for the interiors of the 208 rooms. These are divided into 132 studios, 63 suites, 10 homes, a spectacular Sky House on the twenty-fourth floor, and 2 beach houses with dedicated lobby access.

Everywhere, the indoor/outdoor dialogue brings the magic of the Australian Gold Coast into the hotel’s spaces. Sand, sun, waves, and the green of the pines become graphic and textural motifs, inspiring the color palettes throughout. In the rooms, which are twice the national average size, refined design in terracotta and ochre tones blends with marble surfaces, bronze-hued furniture, floral-patterned sofas, and beds with elegant wicker headboards. In the 320-square-meter Sky House, with three distinct bedrooms and a bright living area, floor-to-ceiling sliding windows offer 180-degree views stretching from Moreton Bay to Burleigh Headland. Meanwhile, in the over 240-square-meter beach houses, both split-level with two or three bedrooms (and private plunge pools), the residential experience evokes the atmosphere of a “home away from home,” featuring warm wood accents, fluid lines, and organic materials that reflect the natural context of Burleigh Heads, set against sand-colored walls and floors.

The common areas also contribute to this seamless connection between interior and natural habitat. On the ground floor, the LiTO restaurant is an open-plan space centered around large columns, where Italian chef Andrea Morigi’s cuisine merges with the relaxed Australian lifestyle, amidst orange drapes, outdoor tables, and rattan and wood interiors, designed by Alexander &CO. The Australian studio also designed the Haven restaurant on the third floor, offering dining indoors or poolside, around a 24-meter pool surrounded by white and green sun loungers that mirror the color of the pines on the horizon. Mondrian’s philosophy is clear: each hotel must be a unique work, a modern fairytale immersed in its surrounding environment. In this case, the sand, vegetation, and waves of a place whose very name leaves no doubt: we are on Australia’s spectacular Gold Coast.