Mondrian Gold Coast’s Date with Destiny Nears

On May 30, 2021, the end came for a mid-century Gold Coast apartment block. As a string quartet played , residents pushed mattresses from the brown-tiled balconies of the apartment block. The 1950s-era White Horses apartments were finally ready for demolition. But from its demise came the inspiration for what has followed it on the site at Burleigh Heads—208-rooms of “barefoot luxury” in a high-end hotel tower and a residential tower atop a shared podium on The Esplanade. Now, after a number of planned opening dates came and went, Vitale Property Group’s Chris and Letitia Vitale say they will open the Mondrian Gold Coast in the second quarter of this year. Vitale managing partner Letitia says the developer has had its fair share of hurdles along the way. “It’s been a journey of personal and professional growth,” Vitale says, “[with] moments that stretched me as a developer and deepened my appreciation for the people and ideas that shaped the process.” ▲ A still from the Vale White Horses project about the end of the block by artists Claire Carlin, Mitch Finglas, Jo-Anne Driessens and Natalie Popovski. The first incarnation of the Mondrian Gold Coast was submitted in 2019 by Nielson Properties Australasia and LGC Property Investments for the 4039sq m site at 48-58 The Esplanade and 5 First Avenue Burleigh Heads in a high-density residential zone. Those plans included a three-storey podium, three levels of basement parking, a 92-apartment tower and a five-star hotel tower of 132 suites or 242 beds. It was planned to replace the White Horse, Burleigh Court and Glistening Waters apartment buildings. The application drew hundreds of submissions from the public. The City of Gold Coast approved the plans in July of 2020, weeks after the first cluster of Covid cases were found in Queensland. Of course, the pandemic had a dramatic effect on the building industry with labour shortages, increasing costs and a supply chain collapse, while the bottom fell out of the tourism industry. ▲ Vitale Property Group has 40 projects to its credit including the Mondrian Gold Coast and has developed $2.8-billion worth of property in 22 years. However, the developers were already committed with 84 apartments sold in 2019 for more than $230 million. Letitia says it was during these challenging times that real growth happened. “To be honest, there were many moments I felt like we couldn’t break through the barriers,” Vitale tells The Urban Developer . “It’s been about more than just delivering a project—it’s been about the challenges that pushed us, the creativity sparked in collaboration, and the resilience built along the way. “If I had to do it all again, the one thing I’d change is learning to trust the process earlier—leaning into the challenges and embracing the unexpected. “Now I totally get the saying, ‘The journey can be just as rewarding as the outcome’. “Bringing on world-class operators like the Mondrian brand and Ennismore allowed us to retain the autonomy of our asset while breathing life into our vision.” ▲ Hutchinson Builders is working on the towers as well as the development at 50-62 The Esplanade as Burleigh Heads evolves. The hotel sector has made an enviable comeback from the pandemic, becoming the property sector’s most stable commercial asset since 2022, according to Savills’ hotel outlook report. Howarth HTL research shows that the Gold Coast was the hottest market in the nation at the start of last year with the new room openings outpacing the rest of the country for the first six months of 2024. And while the total supply of rooms on the Gold Coast is almost the same as Brisbane, sitting just above the 20,000 mark, revPar (revenue per available room) is on the up and up. Mondrian Hotels and Residences brand chief operating officer Chadi Farhat says the demand is undeniable. ▲ A render of The Mondrian Gold Coast, the brand’s Australian debut in 2025. “In terms of global travel trends, we are seeing an increased interest in lifestyle hospitality,” Farhat says. “We always look for destinations where we can identify a gap in the market and bring something new and exciting to the table. “The existing interest, with Mondrian Gold Coast Residences selling out in record time, captures the demand for the brand’s future-forward vision. “Luxury lifestyle hospitality is not new to the Gold Coast, but Mondrian is, and we’re seeing that the brand resonates deeply with this market.” The first Mondrian hotel opened in 1996 in LA, the brand now has 11 properties. Burleigh, to unfold across 24 floors, is the newest. The project alchemy, led by the Vitale Property Group, blends the Mondrian brand, Ennismore operations and design team, including Fraser &amp; Partners, Studio Carter, Alexander &amp; Co and Furn-Niche. ▲ Mondrian’s expansion in Australia marks a milestone for the brand, which is part of lifestyle hospitality company Ennismore. Fraser &amp; Partners associate director Jarryd Pearson led the team on the project from its early days in 2018, creating a development of contemporary concrete modernism. “The undulating profiles of the towers of The Mondrian Gold Coast echo the curves of Burleigh’s sand dunes and the headland,” Pearson says. “Inspired by its surroundings, the ground floor is made up of natural urban rooms defined by a series of articulated vaults. “The arch geometries craft a sense of space with a textured concrete materiality that reflects the raw textures of the eroded shells on the shoreline, welcoming the beach and coveted Burleigh Heads lifestyle inside.” The 208 studios, suites and homes include two- and three-bedroom beach houses and a hotel-crowning sky house. There will also be a ground-floor restaurant and, on the third floor, an oceanfront restaurant and pool club, building on residential amenities that are exclusively for residents. 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Mondrian Gold Coast’s Date with Destiny Nears

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