Checking into the Hilton Little Queen Street location, you’re under no illusion that this is the official hotel group of choice for the McLaren Formula 1 team.
It’s one of Hilton’s more boutique hotel offerings, a heritage-listed refurbishment within the 1931 Equity Chambers building, that, since opening in 2021, has been meticulously restored to celebrate the glamour and luxury of the 1930s for a unique hospitality experience and contemporary stay at the very heart of Melbourne’s bustling CBD.
Of course, this was the Australian Grand Prix weekend. Throughout Melbourne, trams donning the faces of Formula 1 drivers surged past wall murals championing the homegrown heroes: Melbourne’s own Oscar Piastri, New Zealand’s Liam Lawson, and Adelaide Hill’s Valtteri Bottas.
The city had swelled with fans, with reports suggesting nearly half a million spectators through the gates at Albert Park across the four-day schedule, with hotel occupancy in the city sitting at 93%.
Though with all the talk of record-breaking crowds, Hilton Little Queen Street still maintained a quiet charm and poise in the centre of the F1 action, reminding me that even as we all seek out more experiential travel, the stay is as crucial as the days that follow.
Now, this was my first time staying with Hilton, but my love affair with Formula 1 (and, more specifically, McLaren) spans decades, to the era of Lewis Hamilton and early championship battles that defined a generation of motorsport for young English lads like myself.
So it felt profoundly surreal to be here in Melbourne for the opening race of the new season, like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be at the very heart of the Formula 1 action, with the team’s steadfast partner that has continued to support McLaren through almost every year this century.
At the centre of the foyer, guests are greeted by larger-than-life cutouts of McLaren’s Championship-winning driver, Lando Norris, and the homegrown hero, Oscar Piastri, who hang over the Luci Restaurant within the building’s original grand hall as we sat with a perfectly brewed morning coffee (this was still Melbourne, after all).
“A Formula 1 Grand Prix isn’t just an event to attend; it’s a reason to travel. Our role is to ensure the stay enhances that moment in a way that feels seamless and special.”
Alan Watts, President, Asia Pacific for Hilton
Elsewhere, professional driving simulators wait for any guests who dare to test their skills, logging lap times through the iconic Albert Park circuit, with participants brave enough to get behind the wheel earning McLaren and Hilton brand merchandise.
Perfect then, for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, and the opening race of the new Formula 1 season.
My Formula 1 experience started like every good day with breakfast, where I met Deborah Gold and Amar Sejpal, senior members of Hilton’s comms and marketing team, and the rest of the journalists fortunate enough to be invited along to this unique Melbourne experience.
After a delicious spread of fresh fruit, pastries, and our pre-ordered breakfast and coffees, we were joined by Paul Hutton, Area Vice President and Head of Australasia at Hilton, who revealed that through the partnership, the McLaren team stays at 22 Hiltons worldwide out of the 24 Grand Prix weekends. Not Melbourne though; Oscar Piastri’s from Brighton, so I imagine he’s at home with a cup of tea.
It goes to show, though, that McLaren finds not only comfort and reliability through each one of its stays, but also the essential touches that anticipate the needs of champions.
From a much-needed restorative night’s sleep to premium hospitality and food, Hilton enables McLaren and any guests seeking the ultimate F1 stay (like me) to experience a racing weekend at its fullest.
According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, travellers in the APAC region are increasingly driven by passions, with sports and entertainment leading the way.
Hilton’s own data reveals that 40% of respondents plan international trips around sport and music experiences, with more than half already having travelled domestically or internationally for them. And when travelling for sport, hospitality is still the most decisive factor for 70% of these travellers.
“Sports and entertainment tourism is becoming one of the defining travel trends in Asia Pacific, and F1 is leading the charge,” Ben George, Hilton’s Senior Vice President & Commercial Director, Asia Pacific, told Boss Hunting.
“At Hilton, we have always believed that incredible travel experiences start with an exceptional stay. Our partnership with the McLaren F1 Team allows us to connect guests and fans with the moments they are most passionate about, both on and off the track.”
At the heart of Hilton’s rewards sits Hilton Honors, the award-winning loyalty program that offers more than 200 million members access to a wide array of benefits, from premium trackside hospitality to McLaren-hosted activities and curated stays.
It’s just one of the many ways that Hilton strives to provide a more valuable travel experience to each one of its customers; to set the luxury hotel group above its recent local competitors to ensure returning guests continue to trust Hilton with their stay.
“Luxury today is less about formality and far more about access,” Alan Watts, President, Asia Pacific for Hilton, told Boss Hunting.
“Travellers still expect exceptional hospitality, but increasingly they want something attached to it – a uniquely local cultural moment, standout dining, or a global sporting event like Formula 1. A beautiful room is important, but it’s no longer enough on its own.”
Just last year, during the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, Hilton Honors members redeemed more than nine million points for McLaren VIP packages – including premium trackside hospitality, McLaren-hosted experiences with drivers, and even multi-night stays at Conrad Singapore Marina Bay overlooking the Formula 1 circuit – further demonstrating the appetite for experience-led travel across the region.
“Hilton Honors’ new Diamond Reserve tier gives our most loyal members unparalleled access to premium benefits and exclusive, money-can’t-buy experiences,” Alan Watts continued,
“As a case in point, McLaren experiences alone drive Hilton Honors redemptions of more than 100 million points each year – roughly a third of total annual redemptions – which shows just how powerful these passion-led moments are.”
Throughout my stay, I was reminded of this idea of “money-can’t-buy experiential travel”. Of course, it’s something we’ve all heard before, particularly in the luxury space, where brands love to promise extraordinary moments that supposedly sit beyond the reach of ordinary travellers. But it’s rare to see that promise substantiated with both tangible experiences and the data to support it.
Whether it was unrivalled access to the Formula 1 paddock, watching the machines that would soon take to Albert Park as they were meticulously prepared for the opening Grand Prix of the 2026 season, or even the simple thrill of arriving at the circuit and bypassing the public gates entirely, gliding straight through the leafy parklands toward our trackside entrance, Hilton’s access to McLaren and the wider Formula 1 operation felt genuinely exceptional.
But that’s entirely what guests can come to expect, not only through Hilton’s premium experiences, but across each one of the hotel group’s 2,100 sites in the APAC region, where the brand has built a reputation for pairing dependable luxury with experiences that feel deeply personal.
It’s the same philosophy that has defined Hilton’s partnership with McLaren for more than 20 years – the longest-standing collaboration in the team’s history.
Instead of simply feeling like premium hospitality layered on top of an event, Hilton’s partnership with Formula 1, like any successful racing partnership, thrives in 2026 because both sides are chasing the same objective – the pursuit of something just a little bit extraordinary. With Hilton, the stay is no longer simply where the journey begins or ends. It’s fast-becoming the reason you travel at all.
