Interviewer: Courtney Boag
Image: Craig at The Loft, The StandardX


7 July, 2026

“ To turn strangers into something more, you need warmth, rhythm, trust and a little bit of surprise. When those things come together, people leave feeling like they were part of something rather than just present in the room”

Craig Ryan

Every so often a space does something extraordinary: people arrive as strangers, guarded and self-contained, and leave feeling more connected and inspired. At Anthrōprospective we spend a great deal of time thinking about how that happens, and why. It is one of the questions beneath our journal, our monthly Nostos salons, and a new conversation card game we have been building to move people past small talk and into exchanges that leave a positive mark. Grounded in social science, the game uses ideas from anthropology and sociology to give people quiet permission to speak openly, and to notice the deeper currents running beneath their everyday stories.

That question brought us to Fitzroy in June to test our first prototype in the wild, running sessions at Industry Beans on Rose Street with a small group drawn from design, academia, entrepreneurship and industry. And when it came to where we would base ourselves, and who we would want beside us as a collaborator, one choice felt like a natural alliance: The StandardX, who we are delighted to have partnered with for this chapter. The hotel does not treat hospitality as a transaction. It treats its rooms, its bar and its programming as a cultural proposition, a place that hangs art, hosts conversation and draws the neighbourhood in. Our card game and their hotel are, in the end, doing the same work by different means: where the game uses social theory to open people up across a table, The StandardX uses design and atmosphere to open them up across a room. Two crafts, one conviction, that the spaces and objects we make quietly decide whether we meet each other at all.

Which is why we wanted to sit down with Craig Ryan, the hotel's General Manager, to talk about the daily work of keeping a place like this culturally alive. What follows is a conversation about origins and intentions, about Melbourne and the art of the third place, about the quiet architecture of belonging, and about what it takes, night after night, to turn a building full of strangers into something more.

Every space like this begins with an idea and a leap. Take me back to the start — what was the original vision for The StandardX?

The original vision for The StandardX was to create something that felt unmistakably connected to its neighbourhood, not a hotel that could be picked up and placed anywhere else. Fitzroy has such a strong identity. Creative, independent, a little rebellious and very social. The hotel needed to feel like it belonged to that energy. The StandardX was designed as the younger, more spontaneous expression of The Standard brand. It is not about formality or traditional luxury. It is about personality, cultural relevance, good design, great music, food, and the kind of moments that feel unplanned but stay with you.

From the beginning, the idea was to create a hotel that could be both a place to stay and a place to discover. You might come in for a room, but then find yourself in Bistro X, up at On Top, in The Loft, or crossing paths with someone during a music night, a wine dinner, a local collaboration or a neighbourhood event. That was always the ambition to create a hotel that feels alive and activated in its surrounds.

The hotel is unmistakably of Fitzroy here on Rose St, you have the creative community right on your doorstep. How does the neighbourhood shape what happens inside these walls, and how do you want The StandardX to give something back to that culture?

Fitzroy shapes almost everything we do. The streets around us are full of independent stores, galleries, bars, restaurants, makers, musicians and creative people who have built the personality of the neighbourhood over many years. We do not want to compete with that; we want to be part of it. The hotel takes cues from the local environment. You feel it in the design, the attitude, the way people move through the spaces, and the kind of programming we lean into. The StandardX is not trying to create a polished bubble separate from Fitzroy. It is more about creating a doorway into the neighbourhood. ‘

For us, giving back means using the hotel as a platform. That might be through local partnerships and inviting neighbourhood creatives into showcase their works, supporting local producers and winemakers, or creating reasons for people who live nearby to actually use the hotel. Bistro X, The Loft and On Top aim to be places the local community can connect. The best version of The StandardX is when guests leave with a stronger sense of Fitzroy and the local creative scene than when they arrived.



So much of the connective tissue at The StandardX comes down to the design itself — the lights, the layout, where the bar sits, where people's paths cross. How deliberately do you design for encounter and conversation, and what are the details most guests feel but never consciously notice? 

It is very deliberate, but ideally it should not feel deliberate. The best hotel design creates behaviour without forcing it. At The StandardX, the spaces are designed so that people naturally cross paths. You arrive, you move through the lobby, you see the bar, you notice Bistro X, you hear music, you catch the atmosphere of the room. It creates a sense that something is happening, even before you know exactly what it is. The lighting is a big part of that. It softens the space and makes people want to stay longer. The furniture placement matters too. Not everything is set up in a formal, straight-line way. There are corners, communal moments, tables that invite conversation, and areas where you can either be seen or disappear a little.

The bar is important because it acts almost like a social anchor. It gives the room energy and gives people permission to pause. The movement between Bistro X, The Loft and On Top also creates this layered experience where the hotel reveals itself gradually. I think the details guests feel but do not always consciously notice are things like warmth, sound, lighting, sightlines and pace. They may not say, “the design made me speak to someone,” but they might say, “I just liked being there.” That is often the design doing its job.

The StandardX hosts a number of cultural and music events throughout the year, what is your vision for this cultural programming?

The vision is for cultural programming to feel authentic to the hotel and authentic to Fitzroy. We are not interested in events that feel like they have simply been dropped into the building. The programming needs to have a reason to be here. Music, food, wine, fashion, art, conversation and neighbourhood culture are all natural territories for The StandardX. We want the hotel to be a place where different parts of the creative community can come together, sometimes in a very public way, and sometimes in a more intimate way.

For example, our wine dinners at Bistro X are not just about food and wine. They are about storytelling, connection and creating a table where people can experience something local and personal. Music programming can bring a different energy again, especially when it reflects the sound and attitude of the neighbourhood. Collaborations with local artists, brands or cultural voices allow the hotel to become more than accommodation and part of the cultural calendar. Ultimately, the programming should make people curious. It should give locals a reason to come in, guests a reason to stay longer, and the hotel a stronger role in the neighbourhood.



We hear a lot about "third places" where community life happens and this idea of "social infrastructure" whereby the physical places we build can quietly determine whether connection forms at all. Do you see The StandardX as that kind of infrastructure for people, and what does it take to create that sense of belonging?

Yes, absolutely. I think hotels can be powerful third places when they are designed and operated with that intention. Traditionally, a hotel was mainly for travellers. But today, the best hotels are also for locals, collaborators, regulars, creatives, neighbours and people who simply want somewhere interesting to be. The StandardX has the ability to be that kind of social infrastructure because it has different entry points. You can come for coffee, dinner, a drink, an event, a meeting, a staycation, a rooftop moment or a conversation.

Not everyone has to engage with the hotel in the same way. Creating belonging is about consistency and openness. People need to feel welcome without feeling over-managed. The team plays a huge role in that. It is the tone at the door, the way someone is greeted, the music, the lighting, the confidence of the service and the feeling that the hotel has a point of view. Belonging also comes from recognising the neighbourhood around us. If locals feel that the hotel understands Fitzroy and is contributing to it rather than taking from it, then the hotel becomes part of the community fabric.

We were so grateful to spend time here in June while we were testing an exciting conversation card game that will use social science theory to help people have deeper conversations. I'd love to know what you think it takes to turn a room full of strangers into something more?

I think it starts with creating the right conditions. People need to feel comfortable enough to let their guard down, but stimulated enough to be curious. That is where the room, the hosting and the structure of the experience all matter. A room full of strangers becomes something more when there is a shared reason for being there. It might be a game, a dinner, a performance, a question, a glass of wine, or even just the energy of the space. The key is to create a gentle invitation rather than forcing interaction.

What I love about your conversation card game is that it gives people permission to go beyond small talk. Hotels are full of passing interactions, but the opportunity is to create moments where people actually connect. The StandardX is a great environment for that because it already has a social energy. It is not too formal, and it is not trying too hard. That makes people more open. To turn strangers into something more, you need warmth, rhythm, trust and a little bit of surprise. When those things come together, people leave feeling like they were part of something rather than just present in the room.


What excites you about collaborations like ours — the idea of a hotel becoming a stage for ideas and community, not just a backdrop?

What excites me is that it pushes the hotel into a more meaningful role. A hotel should not just be the backdrop. It can be a host, a connector and sometimes even a catalyst for ideas. Collaborations like yours bring new thinking into the building. They allow us to explore different ways people can engage with the space, and they also help us understand what modern hospitality can be. It is not only about service in the traditional sense. It is about creating environments where people feel something, learn something, meet someone or see the neighbourhood differently.

The StandardX brand has always had a strong cultural lens, so these collaborations feel very natural for us. Whether it is a conversation-based experience, a wine dinner, a music event, a local partnership or a creative activation, the goal is the same: to make the hotel feel alive and relevant. The best collaborations also create value in both directions. The hotel provides the stage and the atmosphere, while the collaborator brings a new audience, idea or perspective. That is when the space becomes more than a venue.

 

When someone walks out of The StandardX, what do you hope stays with them?

I hope they leave with a feeling. Of course, we want them to remember the design, the food, the room, the rooftop, the music and the service. But more than that, I hope they remember the energy of the place and most of all a feeling of their new second home. I want people to feel that The StandardX gave them access to Fitzroy, a conversation, a moment, or a different side of Melbourne.

Maybe they discovered a local wine, met someone unexpected, heard a great track, had a memorable dinner at Bistro X, or simply felt like they were somewhere with personality. The best compliment is when someone says, “I want to come back,” not just because the hotel was comfortable, but because it made them feel connected to the neighbourhood and to the people around them. For me, that is what The StandardX should do. It should stay with people as a little reminder that travel, hospitality and culture are at their best when they feel human.

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