Images: Silicon Valley Treehouse
“It’s less about luxury and more about creating experiences that feel personal and genuine.”
The Adelaide Central Market has long been part of the state’s cultural fabric – a place where the city wakes up, comes together, scours the shelves for the freshest produce and returns again and again. Now, its biggest evolution in more than 150 years is taking shape next door. And at the heart of the $400 million Market Square redevelopment is a hotel unlike anything Adelaide has seen.
ICD Property has revealed the vision for Adelaide’s first Treehouse Hotel, the first Australian location for the globally recognised lifestyle brand and only its second hotel worldwide under the Starwood banner. It’s a playful, design-forward concept that leans into nostalgia, sustainability and storytelling – qualities that sit comfortably within the city’s quietly experimental spirit.
“Treehouse is about curiosity, connection, and creativity,” says ICD Property CEO Matt Khoo.
“It’s less about traditional luxury and more about creating experiences that feel personal and genuine. That approach fits perfectly with Adelaide’s spirit and with what we’re building at Market Square.”
To shape what Treehouse Hotel Adelaide could become, ICD undertook an international study tour across London, Sunnyvale, San Francisco and Copenhagen. The team wasn’t there to replicate anything, but to understand how Treehouse hotels lean into the identity of their surroundings.
“What really stood out was how these hotels came alive with the rhythm of their cities — each space transforming with the seasons to host local events and pop-ups that drew in both guests and the community. We saw outdoor cinemas by the pool, lawn games in beer gardens, and even pet portrait sessions at rooftop bars.”
Those observations directly informed the Adelaide site. “That inspired us to think about how Treehouse Hotel Adelaide’s terrace and podium could become a platform for live music during Adelaide Fringe, a rooftop cinema in summer, or design showcases during Adelaide Festival,” Khoo explains.
“It’s really about creating a hotel that collaborates with locals and highlights the culture/essence of that region or city.”
The hotel’s podium level on level four is being designed as a fluid public space, somewhere that feels connected to the market’s daily buzz, but capable of shifting into a Fringe venue, a makers’ showcase, or a long-table dinner under the stars.
Khoo says this is central to the brand’s ethos. “Treehouse is less about traditional luxury and more about nostalgic resonance. It’s a brand that invites curiosity, nostalgia, and connection,” he adds.
“It’s a philosophy that values storytelling, sustainability, and a sense of place, qualities that are increasingly important to today’s travellers and to us as developers. It reminded us that great design isn’t just aesthetic—it’s experiential.”
Once complete in late 2026, Treehouse Hotel Adelaide will include 248 rooms, a restaurant and bar with outdoor seating, over 500 square metres of indoor and outdoor event space, and – in keeping with the Adelaide wellness wave – more than 230 square metres of high-quality wellness and fitness facilities.
And while the hotel is a major drawcard, it’s only one part of a precinct already reshaping the city. This week, the broader Market Square development marked a major milestone with the topping out of Market Square Tower, the nine-level, fully electric office building that anchors the precinct.
“From the first demolition works to standing above one of the most complex mixed-use projects ever delivered in Adelaide, Market Square represents a bold new chapter for the city,” says Khoo.
The tower is already more than 57 per cent pre-leased and is targeting 6-Star Green Star, 5.5-Star NABERS Energy and Gold WELL ratings. The surrounding precinct will include 234 residences, 11,000 square metres of retail and dining, childcare, an expanded Central Market, and a 3,000-square-metre elevated garden terrace with a moonlight cinema.
“The Central Market has always been Adelaide’s meeting place. Market Square extends that legacy – from a place where people come to shop and eat, to now, a place where they can also live and work,” says Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith.
Treehouse Hotel Adelaide sits right at that intersection, an extension of the city’s most loved food institution, and a new cultural touchpoint designed to host, respond to and amplify the energy of Adelaide all year round.
“We really saw an opportunity to create a lifestyle hotel that doesn’t just sit within the city, but actively participates in its cultural life,” Khoo concludes.
“Treehouse fills that gap in Adelaide by offering a lifestyle experience that’s both design-forward and community-oriented. It’s not just a place to stay, it’s a place to gather, explore, and be inspired.”
Construction is underway now, with completion expected in late 2026.
For more info, click here.
More News
