HotelChatter

Anti-View / Melbourne Hotels / Westin Hotels / → All Tags

A Building's Exterior and Random Statues Do Not Make For a Pretty View

Where: 205 Collins Street, Melbourne, VC, Australia, 3000

You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.

Wow. Talk about disappointing. A HotelChatter Flickr member dropped in this shot of the view from their room at the Westin Melbourne saying:

Crappy view of wall. The statues were something to look at at least.

Hmmm...we're having a hard time focusing on the statues because there's just so much wall in this shot.

We actually passed up staying at this hotel a while back because the hotel charged for WiFi in the guestrooms. Guess we'll have to stay away because of the view as well. But they do have a pretty website if that counts for anything!

[Photo: Vissi87/HotelChatter Flickr Pool]

Killer View / Melbourne Hotels / Grand Hyatt Hotels / → All Tags

Sip Your Coffee Up Above Melbourne at the Grand Hyatt

Where: 123 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000

We are suckers for a room with a killer view.  We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.

There is something about sitting up really high with a drink in our hands — whether it be a cocktail or a coffee — that sort of makes you feel like a king or queen, no? Just us? Okay.

Whether or not you get a royal vibe from chillin' in front of a window with a killer view, you can probably agree that this particular seat (snapped by vissi87 and dropped into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool) from the Grand Club Lounge at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne makes you feel good inside. Unless you're scared of heights. Or scared of Melbourne.

Rates here start at A$232 (around $165 USD) and booking a Club room will grant you access to this lounge (the lowest rate we found for a Club King was A$312, or $222 USD) — which you may think is worth it to be able to sit here and sip your coffee. Also, this hotel was just renovated (to the tune of $30 million USD), so the place has a stylish new lobby, a new restaurant and bar, and totally updated amenities.

[Photo: vissi87]

Hotel Renovations / Melbourne Hotels / Intercontinental Hotels / → All Tags

Intercontinental Works Some Melbourne Magic With Rialto

Where: 495 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000

What was once the Rialto Hotel on Collins in Melbourne is now the Intercontinental Melbourne the Rialto and judging from some early guest reviews and a very warm Age review, the change has really done the place good.

Being on Collins Street in central Melbourne gives this Intercontinental the advantage of a good location to start with, and since Melbourne's a place where a lot of stuff happens right there in the city center, location is an especially important factor.

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Melbourne Hotels / Hyatt Hotels / Hotel Renovations / New Years Eve 2009 Hotels / → All Tags

Grand Hyatt Melbourne's New Look Almost Ready For The New Year

Where: 123 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000

Need a tip for a last-minute New Year's Eve booking in Australia's new favorite city of Melbourne? Looks like the Grand Hyatt Melbourne has got some rooms left starting at A$410 (US$290).

Last time we were in the area, the entrance to the Grand Hyatt Melbourne was practically boarded up while they got through some renovations but these are now almost completely finished. It all cost A$45 million (over $30 million) so we aren't surprised the results are pretty impressive, with a stylish new lobby and as well as a new restaurant and bar. Of course, the room still have that predictable Hyatt look.

This place is in a great location in Melbourne with all the restaurants and shopping wherever you look, and it's even got great views. Melbourne nightlife will provide plenty of places to hang out on New Year's Eve and it'll be a short walk back to the Hyatt from wherever you are. On a heavy-going New Year's Eve, that's important.

Gordon Ramsay / Hotel Restaurants / Hotel Hype / Melbourne Hotels / → All Tags

Australian Hotel Gets a New Gordon Ramsay Restaurant

Although Aussies are pretty relaxed about a few dirty words flying about, they’re going to get more soon when Gordon Ramsay starts a Maze restaurant in the newest part of the Crown hotel complex.

Scheduled to open in 2010, the third hotel within the Crown complex will be the largest in Australia, so there should be plenty of guests for Ramsay’s eatery. Although it’s the first step for Ramsay’s eating kingdom Down Under, there are already hints that he’ll be looking to expand across the country.

Australians should be flattered to hear that Ramsay reckons there are enough good chefs in the country to find the right one to run his new restaurant: apparently he said “I’d be stupid not to employ a local Aussie”. Actually, we’re guessing that’s the censored version, but we get the drift.

[Photo: Lee Stranahan]

Hotel Deals / Melbourne Hotels / Hotel Contests / → All Tags

The Windsor Hotel in Melbourne Offering 50-Cent Hotel Rooms For the Lucky Few

Where: 111 Spring Street, Melbourne , Australia, 3000

It's the season for ultra-cheap hotel deals. We've seen the $19.28 fiasco and the $19.27 deal at the Royal Hawaiian, but down in Melbourne they're taking things a whole big step further.

The Windsor Hotel first opened up in 1883 but to celebrate its 125th birthday it's offering something better than $18.83 rates. Their neato marketing plan is to offer rooms for the equivalent of the prices they went for in 1883, which works out at 50 Australian cents (US$0.34). A single room is half that and breakfast is included, too!

As you'd expect, of course, the Windsor is not giving out thousands of rooms at that price. It's going for the first 25 people only who book online on the hotel's birthday, December 18, starting from 9.00am Melbourne time. Yeah, you'd have to be very lucky to get one, but it's worth a try.

Now we're sure you're not going to complain about a 50 cent room, but just for the record the Windsor has some big renovation plans in the works. However, since it's a heritage-listed building the local heritage council knocked back some of its plans--they're appealing against that and hope to start a multi-million dollar refurbishment in 2009.

[Photo: miroj]

Melbourne Hotels / Accor Hotels / Sofitel Hotels / MGallery Hotels / → All Tags

New Label for Old Hotel :: Grand Hotel Melbourne Becomes an MGallery Hotel

Where: 33 Spencer St, Melbourne , Australia, 3000

We got curious when fashionable Aussie blogger Karen Cheng said that the Accor Hotels people were sending her to stay at the "brand new" Grand Hotel by Sofitel on Spencer Street in Melbourne--we didn't think it was new. But a quick investigation soon found that in some ways, it is a bit new: it's just joined the exclusive MGallery hotel collection.

As far as we can figure out, the whole MGallery thing is meant to be a fancy version of the Mercure brand, hence the "M". To kick off the collection Accor have chosen eight hotels from their Sofitel and Grand Hotel Mercure chains to become MGallery hotels, and the Grand in Melbourne is one of them. Get it? So it's new, but not new.

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Marriott Hotels / Melbourne Hotels / Hotel Technology / Hotel Amenities / Green Hotels / → All Tags

Green Hotels: Marriott Melbourne Works on Hand Towels

Where: Exhibition And Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Australia, 3000

Hot on the heels of biodegradable hotel key cards comes another innovation at the Marriott Melbourne where they're trialing an environmentally friendly version of the paper towel.

You may well ask (as we did), why does the Marriott in Melbourne even use paper towels at all--but apparently they have them in public areas and staff areas, but thankfully not in guest rooms. Anyways, they don't have paper towels anywhere anymore, because now they've got the (drumroll ...) Envirocane hand towel.

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Melbourne Hotels / Melbourne Hotel Guide / HotelChatter Questions / → All Tags

Melbourne Hotel Scene :: We Help a Reader With The Rendezvous Hotel

Where: 328 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Australia, 3000

AmandaK has left her perch in Perth, Australia and spent some time in Melbourne. This week she'll be giving us the lowdown on the hotels there. If you have a question or suggestion, send it our way and we'll get right on it.

We just heard from HotelChatter reader Jamie that he's heading to Melbourne in November and has already booked into the Rendezvous Hotel there but was wondering if he made the right decision?

Saw your posting on the hotel scene in Melbourne. I'm heading there in November and staying at the Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne. Any thoughts? Tips? Reviews? Thanks so much!

Thanks for asking, Jamie. Of course we have some thoughts! We answer his concerns after the jump.

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Melbourne Hotel Guide / Melbourne Hotels / Hotel Renovations / Hyatt Hotels / → All Tags

Melbourne Hotel Scene: Grand Hyatt Under Renovation Until November

Where: 123 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia, 3000

AmandaK has left her perch in Perth, Australia and spent some time in Melbourne. This week she'll be giving us the lowdown on the hotels there. If you have a question or suggestion, send it our way and we'll get right on it.

While the hotel is technically open for business, now is not the best time to stay at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne in Australia since some renovations are still being finished up and the access in and out of the hotel isn't great.

The renos are focused on refurbishing the two lobbies and entrances from both streets (it straddles a large corner), and the Bar Deco, Plane Tree Café and some of the event facilities are also getting an overhaul.

The Grand Hyatt also has a tower that looks impressive from the outside and is right in the heart of downtown Melbourne, but the hotel always gets mixed reviews. Those used to a "real" five-star hotel always seem disappointed--perhaps this is the reason for the renovation.

According to the signage outside (which features a whole heap of caterpillar-to-butterfly transformations) the new version of the Grand Hyatt should be ready in November 2008.

With average rates starting at US$285 a night it's probably worth waiting until then to try it--and then splurge for one of their Romance or Relaxation packages to make the most of it.

Melbourne Hotels / Boutique Hotels / Melbourne Hotel Guide / → All Tags

Unnecessary Sun Roof at Newly-Renovated Pensione Hotel in Melbourne

Where: 16 Spencer St, Melbourne, Australia, 3000

On Spencer Street in Melbourne, close to one of the main railway stations and with trams stopping in front of it, the Pensione Hotel Melbourne is probably allowed to claim that it's a "perfect base" to explore Melbourne from. Nice for a hotel website speak to actually be true for once! Add to that a recent multi-million dollar renovation and it really doesn't sound bad at all.

The new incarnation of the Pensione, a 114-room place that brands itself as both boutique and budget, has now got WiFi throughout, which we like, and there's a sun deck on the roof. Moments of sunshine in Melbourne can be rare, though, so this mightn't be the most useful feature around.

The Pensione also has some pretty funky modern décor, unusual in a place that has such reasonable rates--rooms start at A$95 (US$91) a night if you stay for three nights, or they'll go even cheaper if you stay for a week.

If you're heading to Sydney instead, the Pensione has a brother there: Pensione Hotel Sydney, and it's next in line for a refurbishment, starting later this year.

[Photo: Perficio]

Melbourne Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hilton Hotels / Hotel Construction / → All Tags

Melbourne's Growing Up: New Hilton South Wharf "Tops Off"

Where: South Wharf, Melbourne, Australia, 3000

The South Wharf area of Melbourne is covered with construction workers right now, but at least they've reached the top of the new Hilton South Wharf, being built next to the new Melbourne Convention Centre.

As Australia's unofficial "second city", Melbourne is aiming to beat Sydney one day and one way it might get there is through its huge boom in hotels.

With Australia's largest hotel under construction in Melbourne and a heap of others either on the way or on the drawing board, lil' brother Melbourne might just do it. The Hilton South Wharf and the Convention Centre project it's a part of are meant to attract thousands of visitors for regular vacations and especially for conventions and conferences.

The Hilton South Wharf reached a landmark last week with its "topping off" ceremony, celebrating reaching the 20th (and top) floor. Now they just have to fill in the details on the 396 rooms and finish up in time for the early 2009 deadline.

[Photo: wowsim]