Many also said a shortage of hotel rooms within the city centre had sparked their projects.

Plans for three hotels in the city centre were approved within 12 months by the City of Greater Bendigo, the first in July 2020, the most recent in May.

Together, the developments are slated to add a total of 417 hotel rooms to Bendigo's central business district.

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All have been proposed by Melbourne-based developers.

Two of the hotels will sit directly opposite each other, on either side of Mollison Street, while one will be located in Hargreaves Mall.

Plans to build on the block between Williamson, Mollison and McLaren streets are the first foray into hotel development for Spring Design and Development directors Rachel and Peter Irons.

The pair's background is in high-end residential and commercial builds; the latter was even their original plan for the site.

But Ms Irons said visits to Bendigo made them realise there was a real need for high-end accommodation in the city.

In May, council approved their application for a 202 room hotel on part of the city centre block, currently home to a Forty Winks, Drummond Golf, and a specialist medical centre.

But Ms Irons said plans for the hotel had been in progress since at least 2018.

She said the city's art, gastronomy, events, sports and culture were all draws for tourism, but most people who came for a day weren't staying overnight.

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Mr Irons said it was an intuitive decision to plan to build a hotel.

"We're regular visitors to Bendigo, it's a beautiful city, but it doesn't have any new accommodation," Mr Irons said.

"We just knew as a Melbourne client, we couldn't find somewhere we want to stay, so we thought, 'Someone needs to do it'.

"We felt if we needed somewhere to stay, there must be other people like that."

Ms Irons said it was a surprise to see the number of other hotel applications put in for central Bendigo around the same time as theirs, but it did show them they were on the right track.

Mr Irons said they hoped to start building sometime in the next year, but they were still working on some documentation. He said the project should take about 18 months once the build began.

Strong advice about an under-supply of beds from hotel brand Accor sparked plans to build the Mantra hotel in Hargreaves Mall, being developed by Bendigo Hotel Investments.

But a company representative Ben Tzirkas said he also knew from personal experience that it could be difficult to find last-minute hotel accommodation in central Bendigo.

Mr Tzirkas said the company's own research showed a huge need for hotel beds in the four to four-and-a-half star range.

His pre-existing relationship with the owner of now-closed Thomas Jewellers in Bendigo's Hargreaves Mall, meant they went into partnership.

Mr Tzirkas was unconcerned by plans for other hotels within the area, saying the analysis showed multiple venues could survive.

He said the different developments were also offering slightly different products.

Mr Tzirkas said he expected the Mantra hotel to be a city centre destination hotel, as its location was "smack bang" in the heart of town.

He said developers were also keen for the hotel's restaurant to stand on its own two feet, which he hoped would be a trigger to activate the Mall.

Mr Tzirkas said the company hoped to begin the build this year, but was still in the costings phase.

The build is expected to take about 18 months.

Tourism potential, events, and even the GovHub build drew Amber Property Group to plan a hotel development in Bendigo's centre.

The group is behind a 105-room hotel, with restaurant and bar, proposed for the vacant site next to the former Bush's Produce Store building on Williamson Street.

Amber's operations director Jevan Clay said the group had thought about developing in Ballarat or Geelong, but Bendigo seemed to have a lot of positives around tourism.

He said Bendigo was the perfect distance from Melbourne for a weekend getaway, with events happening throughout the year.

Mr Clay said developments such as GovHub and train station upgrades were also draws to build.

He said the hotel would be the first Accor art series in regional Australia, designed in collaboration with a local artist.

The venue was likely to cater for everything from entry-level corporate, to higher-end tourism and weddings, he said.

Mr Clay said he believed the Williamson Street zone with two hotels planned would likely become Bendigo's hotel hub.

He said the spate of hotel plans would be good for customers, encouraging competition on prices and quality.

Mr Clay said the group hoped to begin the build by late January, with completion 16 to 18 months later.

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