Crown plans $200m makeover to win back Melburnians
Crown Melbourne is set to undergo a $200 million redevelopment, especially to its food and beverage offerings, in the first major works to the flagship Southbank property in nearly 30 years.
Established in 1994, the 500,000 square metre site of the hotel and casino giant will gain more than 15 new restaurants, bars and casual eateries, and update where it opens to the Yarra River.
Crown’s theatre, The Palms, will also be transformed, increasing audience capacity by 50 per cent to 1250 people once it’s relaunched in November, and renamed to Crown Live Theatre.
The redevelopment’s construction has already begun, and staged openings across its new and renovated venues will begin from mid-this year through 2027.
Crown’s owner, global asset manager Blackstone, is attempting to offset an easing of its revenue from big-spending gamblers in its casinos, pivoting its focus to improving its restaurants and hotels.
Last year, Crown Resorts posted its first profit under Blackstone’s ownership, after it slashed $220 million in costs. It sold off its London business and offloaded a 20 per cent stake in global restaurant chain Nobu.
Sources revealed earlier in February that Crown had decided to move most of its accounting, technology and finance functions to a global capability centre established in Asia as well.
Crown Melbourne chief executive Ed Domingo said Crown Melbourne was ready for a transformation after once being one of the best places in the city to visit on a night out.
“The best entertainment was under this roof, and you would come to Crown and not know exactly what to expect, but you would always have a great time,” Domingo told The Australian Financial Review. “This is really about repositioning Crown to be that again in the future for this next generation of customers and guests.
“Crown is very much open for business, as Victoria is open for business.“
Domingo said Crown’s capacity had never been an issue, with 26 million people coming through the facility every year – the redevelopment was more about refreshing its offering.
“Once upon a time, names like Nobu and Rockpool made their name in Australia, in this place,” he said. “We haven’t made that type of investment and brought that kind of excitement, unfortunately, in a few years, and this is our chance to do that.
“Melburnians have changed a lot in 30 years, and we’ve evolved our offerings to appeal to this generation of customers and of tourists.”
Announced in January, one incoming tenant will be Victor Churchill, a premium butchery, which will open a bar and grill restaurant on level three of Crown Towers in mid-2027. It operates a restaurant in Melbourne’s Armadale and a butchery in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Crown Towers’ lobby bar will be updated by early next year, and in May, Crown Metropol’s 28th floor will become a private events space.
The hotel and casino giant will invest in its sustainability as well, with rooftop solar panels, battery storage and other energy-saving technology, which will reduce Crown Melbourne’s carbon emissions by 23 per cent by 2027.
Crown Melbourne has more than 1600 hotel rooms across Crown Towers, Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade, as well as indoor swimming pools, Crown Spa and a retail precinct.
The latest additions to its dining offerings were Indian restaurant Kolkata Cricket Club, which opened in 2024, and California-inspired venue Marmont.
