Six Senses, a luxury hotel brand, plans to open its first hotel inside an old heritage house in Australia. Located on a 22-hectare estate, the family mansion Burnham Beeches was built in 1933 for an Australian family. With renovations underway, the Six Senses Burnham Beeches is expected to open in mid-2025.
The original three-storey Art Deco Streamline Moderne mansion was added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 1991. Located 40 kilometres from Melbourne in the fern glades and forest hills of the Dandenong Ranges, the new hotel will offer “fresh air, sunshine, and an outlook of command, yet under control.”
“For Six Sense Burnham Beeches to be regenerative, it will not be a static place,” said Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs. “We’ll evolve and respond to bring the rich heritage of the Burnham Beeches to life, inviting moments of exploration, discovery, connection to nature, and delight through interactive gastronomy, wellness, and sustainability experiences.”
Trenerry Consortium announced its acquisition of Burnham Beeches in early 2021 and has since assembled a team of industry-leading experts to begin their master plan of regeneration. The project involves development manager Trenerry Property, architects Wood Bagot, Australian builders Hamilton Marino, and landscape architects Oculus.
As a community liaison consultant, the great-granddaughter of the original owner, Sophie Paterson, expressed her family’s excitement about the project.
“As a family, we are so excited at the prospect of our beloved family home finally being restored. Sitting neglected for far too long, this beautiful heritage home needs to be shared, and we could not be more pleased with the involvement of Six Senses as its new custodians.”
The mansion's interior design will encapsulate the historical and classic elegance of the original welcome lounge, terrace, restaurant with outdoor seating, library bar, and rooftop retreat. The various guest rooms spanning the mansion’s three main wings will offer a luxurious retreat with mountain views and tree canopies. Adding to the guest rooms and renovating the separate two-bedroom cottage, the new hotel will incorporate a premium glamping option, bringing the room number to 82.
Trenerry Director, Robert Dicintio, emphasised their team's dedication to the building’s heritage.
“We now have a dedicated and world-class team passionate about activating the site as it was always intended to be. As plans progress, a key strategy of the Consortium continues to be to engage and listen to the local community and Council, Heritage Victoria, and Parks Victoria.”
