$240 million St Martins Centre revamp gets green light for 240-room hotel
A $240 million redevelopment of Perth's St Martins Centre has been approved, paving the way for a 240-room hotel, retail precinct and refreshed office space at the heart of the CBD, WA Today reports.
The Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel unanimously signed off on the plans on Wednesday morning, alongside the redevelopment of the heritage-listed McNess Royal Arcade and Bridal House buildings, according to WA Today.
St Martins Properties owns three adjoining office towers on St Georges Terrace, with the new hotel to be built at number 44. The rotating restaurant on level 33 will be retained and repurposed as a "sky bar facility," supported by additional hotel amenities across levels two and three. A new three-storey addition at the rear of the site will house dining, retail and wellness offerings, topped by a podium rooftop pool club.
Office use will continue at 40 and 50 St Georges Terrace, with new ground-floor retail and dining spaces designed to activate St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street. McNess Royal Arcade, Perth's first city shopping mall, was built in 1897. Construction is expected to be completed in stages over four years, per WA Today.
Project proponent Daniel Lees of SLR Consulting said the addition would transform the precinct.
“St Martin’s Centre, which comprises three office towers and extensive frontage to Hay Street Mall, is one of the most recognisable commercial precincts in Central Perth,” he told WA Today.
“This project will breathe new life into the locality, complementing the surrounding sites and the success of adjacent precincts like the Treasury, and presents an opportunity for the retention and future adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed McNess Royal Arcade and Bridal House buildings.”
Lees added that the new hotel, along with more contemporary food, beverage and entertainment offerings, would help extend activity in the surrounding streets beyond the current 9am-to-5pm business hours focus, WA Today reports.
City of Perth councillor Liam Gobbert welcomed the heritage considerations built into the proposal.
“I’m very happy to support the recommendation and hopefully the four-year time frame proposed as part of the application doesn’t take that long,” he said.
Panel presiding member Dale Page said she was "very pleased" with the proposal for the site.
“This is a very prominent and important site within the heart of the city, and has frontage to three of its most prominent pedestrian thoroughfares and focal points,” she said.
“I’m especially pleased to see some adaptive reuse of the upper floors of heritage listed buildings, which have been a challenge in this area of the city in the past.
“I just hope that, given they’re currently planned as the last stage of works, that they are progressed and sooner rather than later.”
Jonathan Jackson, 23rd July 2026
