11 Little Things That Make DoubleTree Melbourne Amazing
Think about all of the places you’ve stayed in your life. So many seem to blend into one, right? There’s the resorts of family vacations from your youth, stacked high with identical rooms that could’ve been photocopied from an IKEA catalogue. (We’re betting the only thing you can remember from each is the pool, right?) There’s the faceless series of European hostels you backpacked through, offering bunkbeds and a complimentary breakfast of breadrolls, jam sachets and powdery apples. (Or a rogue slice of ham, if you’re lucky.) There’s those bizarrely decorated road-side B&Bs you’ve found yourself pulling into near midnight, mid-roadtrip, with tiny, static-ridden televisions perched in an upper corner. (“Has anyone entered this room since 1988?”)
It’s often the small things that add up and elevate just another hotel from one that stays with you and gives you a reason to return or recommend it to a visitor. Here are 11 little things that make the new Melbourne DoubleTree by Hilton a really amazing place to stay.
#1 The warm cookie on arrival
In a pretty literal manner, the cookie on arrival sets the tone for the rest of your stay – it’s warm, fresh and provided with a smile. The DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie is a signature of the hotel line and they’ve been baking these babies up for over 25 years across their global branches, so there’s been plenty of time to perfect the recipe. Prepared on site, the cookies are soft, chewy and brimming with melty chocolate chips. They taste damn good. So damn good that you have to take a minute, breathe, and remind yourself of all of the great dining options literally at your doorstep to restrain yourself from requesting five more of these bad boys before dinner. Good luck.
#2 The neighbour
Flinders Street Station sure is a beauty. The grand building looms above you like royalty from ground level, but looking over it from the vast window pane in your fourth storey room gives you a whole new perspective on one of Melbourne’s most recognisable icons. But it’s not all about looks – I hear train stations are also convenient bases from which to get to places. Go figure.
#3 The not-neighbours
The vast window panes that act as your eyes to the outside world stretch far beyond your friendly neighbouring train station. You also get killer views of the Yarra (and its cool bar oasis Ponyfish Island), the nearby sporting precinct (those stadiums actually look kinda cool from above), the entire suburb of Southbank plus there – in the distance – the impressive Dandenong Ranges rising in the east. Melbourne is a whole new world up there, I tell you.
#4 The glass Coke bottles
Down with plastic. Down with aluminium. We all know Coke tastes best when chugged from a glass bottle, and that’s exactly what the DoubleTree offers you in your room’s fridge. The glass Coke bottles are just the shiny jewel on the crown of the DoubleTree hotel minibar, which is full of delicious beer and wine options to sip in your room while you unwind and flick through the channels on your fancy flat-screen HDTV.
#5 The peace
With the prime city location, you might expect the buzz to seep in through your windows and interrupt your chill-zone. Fortunately, the thick windows and heavy curtains block out nearly all of the intrusive light and noises from the outside world, so if – after a late night on the Negronis – you want to snooze until your 12pm check out, we won’t judge.
#6 The soft shell crab taco
The hotel’s restaurant, Platform 270, is undergoing some changes, and we were lucky enough to sample the upcoming menu which included a soft shell crab taco that I’m still pincing (get it?) myself over. The tempura crab rests on a bed of kimchi and is covered in chipotle mayo and delicately garnished with greenery. It looks lovely, which is ironically the total opposite of how I looked as I devoured it. Heavenly. There is some other food wizardry going on, namely the smoked quail leg which is presented in a large mason jar full of salt that puffs literal smoke into the air when you open it.
It’s drama at its best.
#7 The sound sleep
Two words: Sweet Dreams. This is the actual copyrighted named of the bedding provided in this hotel. Two other words: No lies.
#8 The lobby is also the bar
The DoubleTree check in desk is seamlessly embedded into the hotel bar, which makes it a bit of a one-stop shop when arriving to the hotel after a long day of travel. The open-plan lobby space is framed by exposed concrete walls and ceilings, but it maintains warmth with rugs, wooden furniture and a sprinkling of leather detail. An open fire will also be installed in time for winter. It’s the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a glass of red.
#9 Wine as decoration
And speaking of wine – bottles of the stuff that populate their impressive Australian-heavy wine list are stored in exposed shelving units in the restaurant. Decor you can drink. We’re all for it.
#10 This sick bathroom
Seriously. Look at it. If those vintage Edison bulbs don’t make you feel like a superstar, then you probably need a little life readjustment.
#11 The DIY breakfast juicer
Along with a pretty stellar hot and continental breakfast buffet, guests also have access to a juicing machine in the morning with ready made cups of fresh fruit and vegetables to whirl through it, along with options to mix and match.
(The writer was a guest of the hotel. Images are courtesy of Melbourne DoubleTree by Hilton and Patrick O’Neill.)
DoubleTree by Hilton is at 270 Flinders Street, Melbourne. There’s 180 unique rooms, with prices starting at $145AUD per night.
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