Staged refurbishment works will support the landmark hotel’s rebrand to Amora.
SHAPE Adelaide has been appointed to deliver refurbishment works at the future Amora Adelaide, marking a major step in in the transformation of one of the city’s most recognisable hotel properties on Victoria Square.
Recently acquired by Amora Hotels & Resorts, the hotel is undergoing a major redevelopment as it transitions from Hilton Adelaide to Amora Adelaide. The project will reposition the property for a new chapter in Adelaide’s hospitality sector while aligning the hotel with Amora’s brand and guest experience.
Working within a live hotel environment, SHAPE is delivering staged refurbishment works across the building’s 19 floors, including 380 guest rooms and key public areas. The project will begin with upgrades to public areas before progressing to guest room refurbishments delivered top‑down, three floors at a time. This approach allows the hotel to remain operational while works are conducted, requiring careful planning, coordination and communication between the project team and hotel operators.
Alongside the guest room refurbishment, the broader redevelopment will refresh the hotel’s arrival experience and key guest spaces, including a reimagined lobby, renewed food and beverage venues, and upgraded event and function areas. The redevelopment will also introduce a large ballroom and function space, strengthening the hotel’s role as a destination for accommodation, dining and events in the heart of Adelaide.
The hotel is scheduled to officially become Amora Adelaide from 1st July 2026, with the full repositioning expected to be completed in mid‑2027.
Grant Patterson, General Manager at SHAPE Adelaide, said “Delivering refurbishment works within an operating hotel requires a considered approach at every stage, from planning and access through to coordination with the wider hotel team. With extensive experience delivering complex hotel refurbishments across Australia and working within live hospitality environments, SHAPE is proud to be partnering with Amora Hotels & Resorts to transform this iconic Adelaide property for its next chapter.”
To hear further Insights from the Amora Adelaide refurbishment, join SHAPE at the Design Inn Symposium 2026, taking place at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday 5th May. This event brings together designers, developers, hotel operators and industry leaders to explore the future of hotel design across Australia and the region.
SHAPE is once again a sponsor of the event and will host a panel featuring representatives from Amora Hotels & Resorts, Cottee Parker Architects and the SHAPE project team.
The conversation will explore the vision and expertise behind the repositioning of the former Hilton Adelaide into Amora Adelaide, as the hotel enters a new chapter more than 30 years after it first opened as the city’s first international hotel.
The panel will focus on the design approach to transforming the building while respecting its legacy, and the realities of delivering a major hotel refurbishment within a live environment. It will also share perspectives on the challenges encountered so far and the lessons the team will carry into future projects, including the importance of strong collaboration and trusted relationships with project partners.
Events like the Design Inn Symposium provide a platform for shared insights and practical experience that can help shape the transformation of existing hotel assets across Australia.
Find out more about our experience delivering complex hotel refurbishments across Australia: SHAPE
