I stayed at Le Meridian Melbourne On Swanston as a guest of Marriott Bonvoy.
MELBOURNE | Le Meridian have opened their new five start Melbourne hotel, Le Meridian Melbourne, just around the corner from Parliament House. It’s on 20 Bourke Street, the site of the former cinema, Metro Nightclub, and Palace Theatre.
Location
The hotel is very well located. There’s a tram stop directly in front of the entrance, and Parliament train station is just around the corner. The 96 tram, which stops at the tram stop in front of the hotel, is considered one of the world’s great tram routes. It gets you to many of Melbourne’s best attractions.
You’re walking distance from Chinatown and some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. If you’re in town for sport, the MCG, AAMI Park, and the Tennis Centre (home to the Australian Open) is a short walk or just one train stop away.
Rooms
The hotel has 235 rooms, ranging from the smallest rooms ‘Deluxe’, through to the largest room, the ‘Palace Suite’. Each room takes its design cues from mid-century Melbourne, and nods to the site’s past. Dark wood, blue and white accents, and carpets that reveal a map of Melbourne. Books in each room cover topics like food and drink, architecture, and travel.
All of the rooms come with a firm, comfortable bed and soft pillows, a lilo couch, and a working desk. There’s also Marshall speakers, 55-inch LCD TVs with Chromecast, a mini fridge, pod coffee maker, and tea kettle. Inside the mini fridge and in a cabinet above it, you’ll find a selection of drinks and bites from some of Melbourne’s best independent producers. Things like Chappy’s chips, and a signature bottled cocktail created for the hotel by The Everleigh.
There’s free Wi-Fi in all rooms (and throughout the hotel), a hair dryer, and iron with ironing board. In the bathroom, you’ll find chic marble finishes, a regular and rain shower, and a bathtub in larger rooms. Toiletries are from Malin and Goetz.
A very useful touch are the power outlets, which beyond the usual Australian power outlets, also feature USB-A and USB-C plus for charging your devices without needing an adaptor.
The larger suites feature black stone kitchenettes, Smeg appliances, hand crafted oak board games and Yamaha MusicCast 500 turntables, with a selection of vinyl from artists who once performed at the site.
Amenities
Le Meridian Melbourne features a gym on the fifth level, kitted out with the latest TechnoGym equipment, weights, virtual personal trainers, and a sauna. It’s open 24/7.
Also on level five, is the heated rooftop pool ‘Le Splash’. It’s open until 10:00pm every night, with brilliant views across the city’s skyscrapers, and Parliament House. Weather permitting, the open-air poolside bar serves cocktails, snacks, and gelato.
If you’re looking to hold a business meeting or private function at the hotel, there are five event rooms. Ranging from 26 to 182 square metres, each room can be configured in a variety of ways to suit your needs.
Eat & Drink
The hotel is home to two food and drink venues, Intermission café and wine bar in the lobby, and basement restaurant, Dolly. Both draw their inspiration from mid-Century Melbourne, with Art Deco features and nods to the site’s theatrical past.
Intermission serves Axil coffee, pastries, small plates like cacio e pepe omelettes, and gelato by day. In the evening, it’s about bar snacks, cocktails, local wines and craft beer.
At Dolly, you can enjoy executive chef Christian Graebner’s nostalgic European dishes, made using the best Victorian produce. Pop down for a few snacks, or a full dinner, along with Victorian wines and cocktails created by The Everleigh.
Le Meridian Melbourne
20 Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9123 3900
E-mail: n/a
Website