Euro-Inspired Design Meets Burleigh Beach Charm at the New Mondrian Hotel.

Lito at Mondrian Hotel, Gold Coast.

Lito at the Mondrian Hotel, Gold Coast.

Australia’s first Mondrian hotel has landed at Burleigh Beach, and Alexander &CO has crafted something special. The luxury lifestyle hotel offers an intersection of international sophistication with the laid-back coastal culture that makes this stretch of Queensland so compelling.

Jeremy Bull, Matthew Grand, and Chris Taylor from Alexander &CO faced an intriguing challenge: how do you capture the essence of Burleigh—a place that sits perfectly between Gold Coast glamour and Byron Bay’s bohemian spirit? Their response comes in the form of two distinctly different yet harmonious venues within the 24-storey tower designed by Fraser & Partners.

The design team’s approach centres on what they call “aspirational nostalgia of Burleigh that never quite existed”—a concept that allows them to amplify the area’s natural beauty while creating something entirely fresh. This philosophy plays out beautifully across both venues through Euro-inspired details that feel perfectly at home against the backdrop of Burleigh’s iconic pine trees and golden sands.

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Haven at Mondrian Hotel.

LiTO: Ground Floor Sophistication

LiTO, the ground-floor all-day Italian restaurant and lobby bar, handles the complex task of serving multiple functions with remarkable grace. The space must welcome hotel guests, serve three different meal periods, and accommodate quick coffee runs from Esplanade foot traffic—no small feat in hospitality design.

The solution lies in spatial choreography. Dendriform columns anchor the soaring 5-metre ceilings, while a venetian plaster arbour over the open kitchen creates dramatic focal points. Custom furniture by Furn-Niche in rich walnuts and deep reds grounds the lofty architecture, creating intimate dining experiences within the high-volume space.

A standout feature is the 10-metre lobby bar with its “concrete curtain”—precast concrete curved units arranged without pattern repeats, topped with solid walnut featuring lambs tongue edge detailing and aged zinc inlay. The craftsmanship speaks to A&CO’s commitment to handmade, textural materiality that can withstand coastal conditions without compromising on luxury.

Haven: Third Floor Coastal Daydream

Haven embodies what the designers describe as “a coastal daydream”—as if the seaside has been lifted above the Esplanade and nestled on the third floor. The restaurant, bar, and pool club captures Burleigh’s dynamic energy through carefully considered material choices and spatial planning.

The interior restaurant feels monolithic yet welcoming, reminiscent of a coastal structure weathered by time and salt air. Custom lighting by Shaun Dudley of Transmitt adds contemporary animation to the stone and concrete foundations, while the 25-metre swimming pool surrounded by cabanas provides the ultimate poolside luxury experience.

Haven at Mondrian Hotel.

Haven at Mondrian Hotel.

Materials and Craft

Throughout both venues, the material palette reflects careful consideration of the coastal environment. Soft-toned terrazzo tiles create zones and connections, while bronze-edged mirrors reflect the Esplanade’s pine trees back into the interior spaces. The colour story of burgundies, sage green, rust, tan, and brown feels both sophisticated and inherently Australian.

Mondrian Gold Coast succeeds because it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Instead, A&CO has created spaces that feel authentically connected to their location while delivering the international sophistication expected from the Mondrian brand. It’s a hotel that understands Burleigh’s unique position in Australia’s coastal landscape—and celebrates it beautifully.

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[Images courtesy of Alexander &CO. Styling by Claire Delmar. Photography by Alicia Taylor.]