From amenity to experience: why hospitality design now shapes how we work

How hospitality-led ground floors transform workplaces into social, cultural and civic destinations that draw people back to the city.

Hybrid work and changing visitation patterns have transformed expectations of both workplaces and city centres. Organisations and asset owners increasingly recognise that people will only return to buildings and precincts if those places offer more than a desk and a lift lobby. In this context, hospitality has emerged as a critical design and business tool for attracting people into the city, into workplaces and into shared spaces.

This panel, presented within the Melbourne Design Week 2026 program, will examine how hospitality-led ground floors can activate buildings, support workplace experience and contribute to the cultural life of a precinct. Bringing together experts from the property, hospitality and design sectors – including ST Real Estate, the owner and custodian of Invicta House (226 Flinders Lane) – the discussion will move from the strategic role of hospitality in drawing people back to cities and offices, to the design decisions that make these environments genuinely inviting.

From there, the conversation will consider the long-term implications of this shift for CBD resilience, heritage asset repositioning and precinct character.