Design Hub | NoVacancy

The Event

Where Hotel Design
Meets Its Industry

NoVacancy 2026 brings together the architects, interior designers, FF&E specifiers, procurement specialists and project managers driving the next generation of hotel and hospitality design across Australia and the Pacific.

From flagship refurbishments and boutique new builds through to large-scale repositioning projects and sustainable fit-outs, The Design Hub is where the decisions that shape spaces are made and where the suppliers and innovators behind them connect.

Event Highlights

Design Highlights at NV25

The Market Opportunity

The Numbers Behind
The Design Hub

Australia’s hotel sector is mid-way through its most active construction and refurbishment cycle in over a decade. The procurement windows are open now.

AU$1.1B+

Estimated FF&E spend in the Australian pipeline to 2028

Colliers, 2026

7,272

Hotel rooms currently under construction nationally, opening to 2028

Colliers, 2026

80.9%

Sydney CBD hotel occupancy - operators have the cash flow to invest in design

STR / Accommodation Australia, May 2026

+12.2%

RevPAR growth across Greater Sydney year on year - FF&E budgets are being approved

STR / Accommodation Australia, May 2026

Keep scrolling and download the full 2026 Market Report for the full picture - including active project pipeline by state, buyer decision-maker profiles, Brisbane 2032 procurement windows and sustainability brief requirements!

What to Expect

Solutions Across Every
Design Discipline

Hotel Interiors & FF&E

Architectural Design & Specification

Guestroom & Suite Design

Public Space & Lobby Design

Sustainable & Biophilic Design

Lighting Design

Art, Accessories & Soft Furnishings

Bathroom & Wellness Fitout

Food & Beverage Design

Outdoor & Pool Environments

Branded Residences & Mixed-Use

Heritage & Adaptive Reuse

Why Now

A defining moment for
Australian hotel design

After years of deferred capex, investment in refurbishment, new builds and repositioning is accelerating. The sector is reconnecting and The Design Hub is where that conversation happens.

1 Growing refurbishment pipeline across major Australian cities as owners respond to brand evolution and shifting guest expectations.
2 Rising wellness and biophilic investment driven by guest demand and operator ESG commitments.
3 Circular and locally sourced design gaining momentum as operators respond to sustainability targets.
4 Boutique and lifestyle hotel growth creating demand for distinctive, narrative-driven design.
5 Technology integration - from smart room controls to immersive digital environments reshaping the guest experience.
6 Back-of-house design focus as talent attraction and retention becomes a competitive priority.

The Audience

Who Attends

The Design Hub brings together the full hospitality design supply chain - from concept to completion.

Hotel Owners & Developers Architects & Interior Designers FF&E Specifiers & Procurement Development & Asset Managers Project Managers & PMCs Hotel General Managers Lighting & Landscape Designers Furniture & Fittings Suppliers Building Products & Materials

Buyers who attend

Active projects from the people walking the floor

These are not logo badges. These are the organisations currently spending on hotel design, refurbishment, and new-build FF&E - and they attend NoVacancy every year.

$1B+ investment

Salter Brothers

InterContinental Portfolio Transformation

Six-property rebrand and refurbishment program across Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and the Gold Coast - including the return of the Regent brand to Australia after 28 years.

$250M combined

Crystalbrook Collection

Crystalbrook Sam + Crystalbrook Canberra

Two simultaneous new-build luxury hotels under construction - 206 rooms in Adelaide’s CBD and 238 rooms in Canberra, each with rooftop dining, spa, and full FF&E programs.

Active refurbishment pipeline

EVT

Rydges Australia Square, Sydney CBD

Complete refurbishment of 280 guest rooms across 15 floors, new Executive Boardroom, lobby redesign, and new wine bar. Completed January 2025. Part of an active rolling refurbishment program across the EVT portfolio.

350+ hotels across Australia

Accor

Pacific Refurbishment & Rebrand Program

Three-property transformation following the Bayview International deal - Sydney Boulevard Hotel, Bayview Geographe Resort WA, and Mercure Sydney St Leonards - plus 7 new openings across Australia in 2025 alone.

Multi-million dollar program

TFE Hotels

Adina Darling Harbour + Adina Sydney Town Hall

Back-to-back multimillion-dollar refurbishments across two Sydney CBD Adina properties, both designed by Bates Smart - part of TFE’s rolling refurbishment of its national Adina portfolio ahead of Brisbane 2032.

528 rooms, 8,000m²

Hilton

Hilton Sydney - Full Building Refurbishment

528 rooms across 24 floors refurbished by Stack Studio, including 106 new bathrooms, 11 executive suites, new executive lounge, Marble Bar restoration, and full ground floor lobby redesign.

15 hotels under management

Pro-Invest Group

Hotel Indigo Melbourne + ANZ Development Pipeline

Active hotel development and asset management across 15 properties in Australia and New Zealand, with new-build pipeline including Hotel Indigo Melbourne and flex-living conversions underway.

National portfolio program

The Ascott Limited

Quest Apartment Hotels - Rolling Refurbishment

Ongoing national refurbishment program across the Quest Apartment Hotels portfolio - one of Australia’s largest apartment hotel networks - with in-house design coordination managed directly from their Australian office.

2024 Hotel Design Award Winner

Buchan + CHADA

Adina Pentridge Melbourne

Award-winning conversion of Melbourne’s historic Pentridge Prison into a full-service hotel. Winner, Hotel of the Year - Conversion, Australasia-Pacific Hotel Design Awards 2024. A benchmark for adaptive reuse in Australian hospitality.

Exhibiting at The Design Hub

Past Exhibitors

The Design Hub brings together Australia's leading suppliers across interiors, FF&E, lighting, bathroom, outdoor and design technology. The 2026 exhibitor list is growing - check back regularly for new additions, or enquire about exhibiting .

Free Download

NoVacancy 2026
Design Market Report

The full commercial case for exhibiting at The Design Hub - including active project pipeline data, buyer profiles, market performance figures and the Brisbane 2032 procurement opportunity.

AU$900M–$1.5B FF&E pipeline breakdown by state
20+ active hotel projects with design procurement windows open now
Sydney market performance data: occupancy, ADR and RevPAR
Buyer decision-maker profiles by property type
Brisbane 2032: why the specification decisions start in 2026
Sustainability brief requirements now mandatory across key projects

Get the full report Download the Report

By downloading this report you agree to be contacted by the NoVacancy team. Your details will not be shared with third parties.

Exhibit & Sponsor

Be at the centre of
Australian hotel design

Put your brand in front of the architects, designers, specifiers and hotel decision-makers shaping the next generation of Australian hospitality. Connect with the buyers and procurement professionals driving the projects.

ENQUIRE NOW DOWNLOAD PROSPECTUS

The Program

Design Talks Agenda

Design Talks unites leading architects, designers and project visionaries to explore the future of hospitality and commercial interiors. Featuring keynotes, panels and deep dives into sustainability, smart design and innovation, this is your must-attend summit for cutting-edge design thinking and connections.

Day 1 Agenda

Design Talks, Wednesday 23 September 2026

Design Talks

09:30

Nostalgic design: Retro glow ups commanding higher revenue

Caspar Tresidder, Owner Operator, The Hillcrest Motel - Merimbula

Kirsten Stanisich, Director, Richards Stanisich

David Stubbs, Owner, The Berry View

09:30

Do you really have an AI platform? Why an AI chatbot is no longer enough

Scott Boyes, CEO, Trilogy Hotels

David Thompson, CEO & Co - Founder, Myma.ai

Andy Dharmani, CTO & Co_Founder, Myma.ai

09:55

The data security questions you should be asking your tech vendors

Dominic Pinto, Director of Sales, Oracle Hospitality

Andrew Turner, Group GM Technology & Digital, EVT

Design Talks