Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Manuka Hotel
A 192-room five-star hotel rising on Manuka's long-contested former Capitol Theatre site, with persistent but unconfirmed rumours of a Hilton operator.
Announced · Late 2026 (expected, per developer)
Manuka Hotel is a 192-room, five-star hotel under construction on Canberra Avenue in Griffith/Manuka, on the site of the demolished Capitol Theatre. Developer Sotiria Liangis expects it to open in late 2026, though persistent rumours of a Hilton operator remain unconfirmed.
The essentials
- Group
- NC
- Opening
- Late 2026 (expected, per developer)
- Rooms & suites
- 192 rooms
- Segment
- Luxury
- Designer
- NC
- Entry rate
- NC
The place
On the corner of Flinders Way and Canberra Avenue in Griffith/Manuka, on the site of the former Capitol Theatre, integrating with the stage-one building already completed on the same corner.
The concept
The project belongs to Canberra developer Sotiria Liangis, whose family bought the Capitol Theatre site in the late 1980s. A rebuilt version of the 1927 cinema, itself replacing the original venue, was demolished in 2021 to make way for the current scheme. Stage two was approved with conditions in 2021 for cinemas, a ballroom, meeting spaces, a restaurant and hotel rooms across the upper levels; more recent reporting indicates the cinema component may have been dropped from the plans. Mr Liangis has repeatedly declined to confirm persistent rumours that the 192-room, five-star hotel will be operated by Hilton, and no operator has been officially named as of the most recent reporting.
Dining & wellness
Not independently confirmed; earlier approved plans referenced a restaurant, ballroom and meeting spaces alongside the hotel rooms.