MELBOURNE | The Motley Hotel is a boutique, five star hotel that recently opened in Richmond. The hotel pays homage to Mary Parker, a seamstress and costume-designer who called the site home in the 1850. Behind the two story heritage façade lies a modern eight story building, which blends the site’s heritage with contemporary flair. Custom artworks from local artists can be found throughout the hotel.
Location
The hotel is in a prime location for those who have tickets to an event the MCG, Rod Laver Arena and Olympic Parks. All of those venues are a short walk, or a few tram stops away from the front of the hotel. On the way, you’ll pass a number of boutique retailers, and dining options. One street away, you’ve got the restaurants and bars of Swan Street, while a street back the other way, you’ve got the Vietnamese eats, and funky bars of Victoria street.
Rooms
The Motley Hotel contains 80 rooms, ranging from the small Motley King rooms, to the spacious Motley Suite. For something particularly unique, check out the hotel’s ‘Heritage Rooms’. Each one is different, with its own eclectic, unique theme.
Mary’s Room pays homage to Mary Parker’s artistry through a modern take on monochrome threads, while the the Textured Room is a vibrant burst of colours, inspired by the world of fashion. The Tiger Room, which I stayed in, features jungle-themed wallpaper and kitsch Camilla bed linen.
Each room features a wall-mounted flat screen TV with Chromecast to stream your own content. There’s a complimentary minibar in each room, a coffee machine with Code Black Coffee pods and an assortment of Teadrop teabags. The heating and air-conditioning is easily controlled using a wall-mounted touchscreen. A bedside iPad is the hub from which guests can contact reception, request amenities like hair dryers and irons, room service, and the like.
There’s robes and slippers, plenty of coat hangers, and space for your luggage. The bathroom is compact, with brass fixtures and a dual standard/rain shower. They’re fully stocked with Mr Smith bath products and amenity kits.
There’s free Wi-Fi in all rooms (and throughout the hotel), and multiple Australian standard power outlets. Several of the outlets feature dual USB-A and USB-C plus too, which is great for charging your devices.
Amenities
Like many boutique hotels, there’s not much in the way of additional amenities offered by the hotel. The focus is on the rooms, and the food and drink offering. There is a lounge next to the hotel lobby, featuring comfortable couches and a variety of ways to pass the time and relax. Think board games, trivia cards, and books.
For those with a car, there’s no parking on-site, however paid public parking nearby and street parking are available to guests.
Eat & Drink
There’s two options for food and drink at the Motley Hotel – ground floor restaurant, Ms. Parker, and rooftop bar, Threads.
Threads is an intimate space, with high Perspex helping to shield it from the weather. I was up there on quite a cold winter’s night, and combined with the terrace heating, felt quite comfortable. On the menu it’s a selection of house cocktails, wine, and local beer, and small snacks. If you’re staying at the hotel on Thursday, the two-for-one cocktail offer that’s available from 5pm to 10pm is great value.
Downstairs, you’ll find Ms. Parker. It’s a café/restaurant that’s designed to be able to stand on its own as a spot worth eating at, even if you’re not staying at the hotel. At night, it’s menu of refined pub and bistro-style dishes like duck liver pate, wagyu beef burger, kingfish ceviche, and pan roasted barramundi. Great takes on the classics that hit the spot. For drinks, it’s house cocktails, local beer on tap, and a keenly priced international wine selection.
For breakfast, it’s a compact selection of Melbourne breakfast favourites. Think shakshuka; mushrooms and poached eggs on sourdough; and house granola with coconut yoghurt and fresh fruit. There’s also fresh pastries from local Richmond’s Cobb Lane Bakery, Code Black coffee, and Emma & Tom’s juices.
The Motley Hotel
205 Bridge Road
Richmond
Victoria 3121
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9046 2300
E-mail: [email protected]
Website