LXR Hotels & Resorts Gold Coast

Hilton's ultra-luxury LXR Hotels & Resorts brand is debuting in Australia on the Gold Coast's Spit, taking over a 200-room property that opened in 2000 as Palazzo Versace and most recently traded as The Imperial Hotel. Owner Islander Hotel Trading is targeting an early 2027 reopening after a comprehensive refurbishment.

The place

The hotel sits on The Spit at Southport, on the Gold Coast's Broadwater rather than its ocean beaches, near Marina Mirage and the Sea World theme park — a quieter, marina-facing address than the Surfers Paradise high-rise strip a short drive south.

The concept

The property has a rare pedigree for the Gold Coast: it opened in 2000 as Palazzo Versace, the fashion house's only hotel venture, before changing hands and operating most recently as The Imperial Hotel Gold Coast. Owner Islander Hotel Trading has signed Hilton to reposition it under the ultra-luxury LXR Hotels & Resorts banner — Hilton's top-tier brand and its first Australian signing — through a comprehensive refurbishment described as preserving the building's neoclassical architecture and Italian-inspired interiors while updating it to current luxury standards.

Dining & wellness

Specific restaurant, bar and spa concepts for the renovated property have not been confirmed; the announcement points to direct access to the Gold Coast Broadwater as a defining amenity, alongside the retained neoclassical public spaces from the building's Palazzo Versace era.