An artist’s impression of Crystalbrook Aurora in the city, set to open in 2027. Photos: Supplied.
The new luxury hotel under construction in the heart of the city now has a name – Crystalbrook Aurora.
The development partners – sustainably-led luxury hospitality company Crystalbrook Collection and Tony Pan’s TP Dynamics – have announced the name as construction ramps up, with hoarding now in place and groundwork underway.
They have also released a first look at the hotel interiors.
Mr Pan bought the 1500 sqm site between Garema Place and Bunda Street from Geocon in 2023 for $30 million, along with the approved development application for the 10-storey project. He expects to complete the project in early 2027.
It will feature 225 rooms and suites, a modern European rooftop restaurant, ground floor dining and luxury retail offerings, flexible meeting and event spaces, and a dedicated wellness precinct including Crystalbrook’s signature Eléme Day Spa, sauna, pool, and gym facilities.
The Crystalbrook Collection chain was founded by Ghassan Aboud of GA Group, one of the biggest family businesses in the Middle East with operations across automotive, retail, hospitality, food, logistics, catering, media and healthcare.
Mr Aboud said the naming of the hotel and project progress marked an exciting next chapter in Crystalbrook Collection’s Canberra journey.
“This project reflects our commitment to investing in high-growth, culturally significant locations and delivering properties that reflect the future of responsible luxury,” he said.
The new name is inspired by the idea of a new dawn, and one the partners say reflects a fresh chapter for Canberra’s hospitality scene – one that honours the city’s visionary beginnings while embracing its future as a modern, connected, and creative destination.
The name also holds historical significance, having once been among the proposed names for the city itself.
Crystalbrook Aurora’s design draws from Canberra’s rich architectural heritage and iconic civic style, with a curved facade that takes cues from nearby parliamentary buildings.
The interiors also pay homage to the capital’s origins, particularly the influence of Marion Mahony Griffin, one of the world’s first licensed female architects and a vital – though often overlooked – figure in the city’s founding story.
Marion, alongside her husband and collaborator, Walter Burley Griffin, helped shape Canberra’s unique integration of natural landscape and concrete architecture.
Her pioneering spirit is reflected in the hotel’s light-filled central skylight atrium and abundant greenery, seamlessly blending indoors and outdoors.
Guests can also look forward to thoughtfully designed rooms with timeless appeal, immersive wellness spaces, and elevated dining and entertainment offerings, all crafted to reflect Canberra’s cultural depth and contemporary spirit.
Crystalbrook CEO Geoff York, Ghassan Aboud and Tony Pan at the construction site.
Mr Pan said Crystalbrook Aurora was set to become a new landmark on the city skyline.
“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Crystalbrook Collection and together we are delighted to build a legacy for the city as part of central Canberra’s revitalisation,” he said.
Crystalbrook Collection CEO Geoff York said Canberra represented a strategic investment and an opportunity to help shape the next era of Australian hospitality.
“With visitor expenditure in the ACT reaching $3.6 billion in the year to December 2024, and projected to reach $5 billion by 2030, Canberra remains a significant tourism market,” he said.
“We’re proud to be delivering a hospitality offering that supports the city’s long-term growth, providing new world-class dining, meeting, and event spaces for both visitors and the local community.”
Crystalbrook takes an industry-leading approach to responsible luxury, securing Australia’s first Sustainability-Linked Loan with CBA, and several of its properties ranked in the 100th percentile under benchmarking of global sustainability certification platform, EarthCheck.
Crystalbrook Aurora will contribute to group-wide targets across emissions, energy, water, and waste.
Onsite, guests can also expect 100 per cent waste-free bathrooms, recycled timber key cards and coat hangers, zero-waste coffee capsules via TerraCycle, and ‘Climate Calories’ labelling to support more mindful dining.
Crystalbrook Aurora is set to open in early 2027, with further details to be announced as development progresses.
