Nishi
Moody eco-artisan boutique. Raw materials meet curated vintage finds and original artworks throughout. Think recycled timber grand staircase, terrazzo floors, vintage boomerang lounges, and a lobby with an open fireplace. Dark and atmospheric in the atrium-facing rooms; light-flooded in the sun-facing ones.
Book direct on ovolohotels.com for up to 15% off, the complimentary Apero Hour drink, and flexible check-in/out — none of these perks come through third-party OTAs
Why It Matters
Originally opened as Hotel Hotel in 2013 as an art project involving over 60 artists, Ovolo Nishi acquired and refreshed the property in 2018 with a $5M upgrade. The Nishi building holds a 6-star NABERS energy rating — one of Australia's most sustainable buildings. Winner of AHA's Best Deluxe Hotel 2024. Canberra's only Small Luxury Hotels of the World member.
Ovolo Nishi sits across the first three floors of the angular Nishi building in Canberra's NewActon precinct — a mixed-use tower that also houses a contemporary art gallery, the Palace Electric Cinema, a pilates studio, and a spa. The hotel's rooms go hard on reclaimed timber, off-form concrete, earthen clay walls, and salvaged Tasmanian tree ferns growing in an internal atrium. It's moody, considered, and genuinely unlike anything else in Canberra.
Where You'll Stay
7 room types available
Atelier
Spacious atrium-facing rooms that look over the indoor Tasmanian fern forest. Handpicked vintage pieces, natural clay walls, and original artworks throughout. The natural materials theme — reclaimed oak, earthen renders, cork — is consistent throughout.
King
Atelier Large
More breathing room with the same atrium-fern outlook as the standard Atelier. Moody, warm lighting, vintage finds, and a king bed. The added space makes it a more comfortable fit for longer stays.
KingCocoon
The smallest and moodiest room in the house. At 20m² it's compact, but the party trick is the wall of salvaged Tasmanian tree ferns just outside your window in the internal atrium. Walls are finished with concrete, cork, earthen clay, and eucalyptus timber. A queen bed, rain shower, Alexa speaker, and Aesop-style bathroom kit. Perfect if you just need a great base and spend most of your time out.
Queen · 20 sqm
Horizon
The sun-seeker's pick. Corner-positioned rooms that catch natural light all day, with views out to Lake Burley Griffin or Canberra's bushland. King bed, rain shower, restored vintage pieces, and walls finished with clay render, cork, concrete, and natural fibres.
KingHorizon Large
The bigger version of the Horizon — golden light from morning through afternoon with uninterrupted views of Canberra's bush and lake landscape. Same material palette (clay, cork, concrete, vintage timber) in a more generous floor plan.
KingSanctum Suite
The biggest rooms in the hotel. A king bed, a separate sitting area, double vanity, twin overhead rain showers, and — the centrepiece — a freestanding concrete soaking bathtub. Rooms overlook the tree fern atrium with the kind of low, amber lighting that makes you want to order room service and stay put. The walls are layered with Australian landscape-inspired textures, and furnishings are an active catalogue of reclaimed and restored 20th-century pieces.
KingSnug Sun
The most compact of the outward-facing rooms. Light comes in from outside, but reviewers note the room is extremely narrow — barely wider than the bed, with no wardrobe or desk space. Fine for a solo traveller who wants natural light; a squeeze for two.
DoubleThe Property
Eat & Drink
1 venue on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
A complimentary daily drinks hour for direct-booking guests. Described as a signature Ovolo perk — order a drink (and snack) on the hotel's tab during the social hour window.
A bike shop operates within the Nishi building. The NewActon precinct is also near lakeside cycling paths along Lake Burley Griffin — guests can hire a boat at nearby Acton Beach.
A private salon within Monster Kitchen & Bar available for exclusive hire. Features original artworks, mid-century modern furniture, terrazzo floors, and its own fire pit. Ideal for groups of up to 20.
An impressive contemporary art gallery in the Nishi building, showing local, interstate and international exhibitions. Not operated by the hotel but immediately accessible.
An art-house cinema on the ground floor of the Nishi building — guests can catch independent and foreign films without leaving the building. Not operated by the hotel.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
A signature architectural feature — a grand staircase handcrafted from recycled timbers salvaged from a demolished house, a basketball court, construction off-cuts, and Blackbutt eucalyptus.
Meeting rooms and a banquet hall for corporate events and weddings.
A curated library space within the hotel.
A large, open fireplace in the hotel lobby.
On-site gym with lake views, available around the clock.
Bathrooms throughout the hotel feature heated floors.
Complimentary mini bar stocked daily with beer, wine, water, soft drinks, juice, T2 teas, peanuts and crisps — but only when booking direct through the hotel website.
Paid public parking available below the hotel in the Wilson car park, entrance via Phillip Law Street. Costs AUD 35/day (weekdays). Flat AUD $4 on Sundays. Not operated by Ovolo.
Direct bookers get flexible check-in and check-out times, subject to availability.
BUILD YOUR OVOLO NISHI PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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