Perched between the shimmering Swan River and West Coast beaches, Perth, the ritzy, skyscraper-studded jewel of Western Australia (WA) is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, with new residential and commercial developments, as well as hotels reinvigorating the secluded city. Among those hospitality projects are lifestyle properties like QT Perth, the Alex Hotel, and COMO the Treasury, just three of the 42 new or redeveloped hotels that have opened since 2012, adding 4,627 rooms to the market. According to Tourism WA, by 2022, seven more hotels with 1,683 rooms are expected to come online, helping revive this hidden Australian gem.

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth rises above the Elizabeth Quay waterfront

In the aftermath of WA’s mining boom, several large-scale urban renewal projects are being developed along the capital’s waterfront, transforming the skyline and “rejuvenating Perth’s identity as a true river city,” says Jonathan Davis, senior design manager at local firm Cottee Parker Architects, which helped craft the Ritz-Carlton, Perth. Soaring high above Elizabeth Quay riverfront, the 28-floor, pink-mirrored exterior of the 205-room luxury hotel dazzles like the Argyle pink diamond of the Kimberley region, taking cues from its sunny and mineral-rich landscapes. Like a honeycomb, “the two curved towers are shaped to evoke the wind, while the colors represent idyllic WA sunsets,” Davis says.

For the interiors, Melbourne design firm Lombard + Jack developed a palette that is at once raw and tailored. “Our inspiration came from the rich natural resources of Western Australia,” director Kath Lombard says. Take the foyer’s handcrafted concierge desk, which is clad in rich Jarrah hardwood and set against a large piece by indigenous artist Aileen Sandy. The focal point of the lobby, however, is the cascading chandelier that echoes the waterfalls of the Pilbara’s Karijini National Park gorges.

Quay Perth

A gray and blue palette outfits Community at Quay café in Quay Perth

For the two-year, $7 million makeover of the rundown New Esplanade Hotel on Elizabeth Quay into the 80-room Quay Perth, interior stylist Malvina Stone “wanted to honor the original Brutalist architecture as best we could [while] pushing the boundaries in terms of style and design,” she says. Resplendent in Australian timber, wool, and linen, a palette of dusty pink and muted blue and gray references the ocean, sand, and river. The aim, she says, was to capture WA’s laidback and natural character in craftsmanship and materials, creating a bleached-out effect in guestrooms, thanks to light Victorian Ash detailing and slate gray bathroom tiles.

The Adnate

A 25-story mural on the Adnate’s exterior depicts Perth’s cultural history

“I see this hotel as a beautiful canvas to tell a story about Perth’s cultural history and community,” says Australian street artist Matt Adnate of his 25-story mural that greets guests to the ninth hotel in Accor‘s Art Series collection. Adnate’s monumental artwork—the tallest mural in the Southern Hemisphere—features a trio of spray-painted faces: an indigenous WA Noongar man alongside Indian and Mediterranean women. The mural was the creative building block for the 250-room luxury boutique, where two original canvases, another large-scale mural, and 650 giclée prints of Adnate’s works adorn public spaces.

Bringing a touch of Los Angeles glamour to WA is the hotel’s first-level Hyde Perth Kitchen + Cocktails from entertainment powerhouse sbe. For the urban chic retreat, designer Carlie Milosevic says she drew on Perth’s pastel sunsets and Indian Ocean beaches for a “neutral color scheme with pops of turquoise, blue, and yellow” throughout the almost 6,000-square-foot space.

Hyde Perth Kitchen + Cocktails features pops of turquoise, blue, and yellow

Photography by Damien Smith and courtesy of Quay Perth and the Adnate

This article originally appeared in HD’s  February 2020 issue.