Melbourne's Alto hotel changes hands

The Alto Hotel in Melbourne's Bourke Street has found a new owner in a private Chinese investor.

Alto is Australia’s only 6-Star NABERS rated hotel.

It has won several tourism awards, including Conde Nast, Qantas, Trip Advisor, RACV and Tourism Victoria.

The hotel, which opened in 2006, comprises 50 rooms across six floors.

The CBRE listing CBRE sold via an international expression of interest at an initial yield of 4%.

The hotel was sold for about $19 million, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The freehold property is on a long term lease, with options until 2042.

The site was originally developed as the Railways Hotel around 1860, before being purchased by the Victorian Railways Union and demolished to construct its head office in 1914.

“This sale is further evidence of strengthening appetite levels for premium accommodation assets from Asian investors who consider Australia an attractive investment landscape,” said CBRE's Joseph Du Rieu, who helped broker the deal.