HotelChatter

Even from the west coast of the U.S., the trip to Perth takes about 24 hours (with a stopover on Australia’s east coast), so by the time we hit our room at The Richardson, we were ready for a little pick-me-up before heading out into the streets. So we were happy to find a cute little Nespresso machine with those single-use coffee caps that you just pop in, hit the brew button, and wait about a minute for a steaming cup of joe.

Let’s be honest. More often than not, those instant coffees aren’t very good, so it was with mingled expectations that we waited while the coffee percolated. However, we did use the room’s mini milk-steamer (again, just a single button push) to get some nice foam ready. Then, within another minute, we had our very own café au lait—or flat white as the Australians call it—and miracle of miracles, it was actually good! Plus, there was no clean-up required.

Some other pampering features of the hotel? A new-fangled "pillow menu" with six different options ranging from a firm neck supporter one to another that uses "magnetic therapy" to work out your travel kinks. The suite also had two LCD flat-screen televisions, one in the living room and one in the bedroom, as well as a huge balcony overlooking the city’s famed Kings Park. Elsewhere in the hotel, you’ll find a spa, a beauty salon, sauna and steam room, and an indoor pool.

Opus, the hotel’s restaurant and one of the highest-rated eateries in Perth, is adjacent to the lobby on the ground floor, and features a large open dining room as well as a skylit atrium where you can taste Chef Todd Cheavins’s seasonal menu.

Rates for The Richardson’s classic rooms (no living room, no balcony) run around $415 AUD (about $389 USD), and a suite, which is where we spent the night, goes for about $530 AUD ($497 USD).

Disclosure: Eric Rosen stayed at The Richardson Hotel courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.