First and foremost, I wanted to say that despite my need to organize most of my posts about food/travel/accommodation reviews separately, I think this property deserves a full post on its own. I did not know where to stay in Melbourne: I had stayed in a backpackers on my first visit and someone's house the second time round, I wanted somewhere fancy - nothing less than a 4-star.
I did a thorough research, even for a short-stay, somewhere nice, modern, luxurious, and last but not least, conveniently located. I asked around for some recommendation and my manager said "Crown Promenade" as that is his favourite stay in Melbourne. Looking through photos, I opposed his idea but similarly chose one of the Crown hotels for the two nights. It looked modern, and since it is interconnected with the other Crown hotels and casino, located on South Bank, it seemed like the perfect choice, and perfect it was.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a lovely staff member who offered to carry our bags, but since we only had a tiny hand luggage each, we kindly refused and made our way towards the lobby.
Okay, I did not take this photo as I was lazy and did not have an awesome camera with me. But it did look like this! Minus the people & staff obviously!!
http://journal.batessmart.com.au/cms_images/146_29-07-2011_7877.jpg
The receptionist who checked us in was also very nice, with a warm smile on her face. She offered us a room upgrade for an extra $200AUD per night, but unfortunately, we were quite tight on finances already. James was quite tempted but we decided to check the room first. If memory served me correctly, our room was on the 16th floor (I think..) or somewhere higher up in the building. Walked to our room, opened the door (even the swipe machine-lock thing-a-ma-jig was quite fancy - it was located on the wall, not the door as most hotels have them, and also some small service lights, if you need room-keeping or not to be disturbed! Fancy that!), and lo, and behold the sight that greeted us:
http://www.needtoescape.com/media/800x800/crown-metropol_4.jpg
Okay, again, this has been taken from the Web. But seriously! My phone's camera did not do any justice :( Check the actual photo below.
Told you my camera did not do any justice to what we saw but heck, close enough!
As with most hotel stays, the first thing I do, is to inspect the amenities. The bathroom area also looked impeccably stylish & modern and most importantly, sparkly clean!
I wish my bathroom sink at home looked like this!
http://s1.at.atcdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Crown-Metropole-Melbourne-2.jpg
Okay, okay, I will stop using downloaded images from the Internet. Last one, I promise! Just to do this review some justice, it needs some good photos!
Also, another aspect of hotel stays I love, is checking out what they provide in the room!
Cute little amenity box! I wonder what's provided inside?
Omg! Omg! They provided a hair-tie! *tears of joy* Let's see.. The amenity box has: a shoe mitt, shower cap, sewing kit, facial cotton pads, nail file, cuticle pusher-thing and a hairband! <3 The only thing missing is some disposable toothbrush and toothpaste, but we came prepared this time round.
Next, I checked out the kitchenette:
Very neat & organized. I am impressed!
Even the tea-packs seemed so.. so cute! <3 I have to admit I brought some home, and they are your fancy silk, triangular pouch tea-bags!
Mesha-selfie approved! Even the mirror somehow made me look slimmer. W.T.F?!
James let out a sigh of despair as he noticed me running around excitedly, as if I were a child in a candy store and taking photos here, there and everywhere. However, he did admit that it surpassed his expectations after his short stay at the Intercontinental Sydney (he said that they provided the best level of service ever). After we unpacked, we decided to go hunting for a smoking section and goddamn it, even the smoking area looked fancy.
An artsy-fartsy photo wannabe
Other than the images I have provided, I also wanted to mention that bed is just as comfortable as it looks, and enjoyed the two nights in that room immensely. Despite the confusion of this property being either a 5-star, 4.5-star or 4-star, I am personally rating it a 5-star and would recommend it to anyone heading down to Melbourne for a getaway.
With regards to pricing, I got it for a really good rate, IF you book a month in advance. As far as I am concerned, there is a 30-day Advanced King Room rate (which is what I paid for. Okay, slightly cheaper since I get good travel industry rates and you don't). Other wholesalers charged anywhere around the $650AUD ++ per night, but with that deal, it shrinks it down to the $450++ for the couple of nights there. That is maybe still a whopping $200AUD+ worth of savings and make sure to book in early to avoid disappointment, especially over the weekends.
In short, here's what I think:
- Ambience/Presentation: 5/5
- Value: 5/5 (again, if you book in advance)
- Convenience/Location: 4.5/5 (walking distance to the city)
- Service: 5/5
Crown Metropol Melbourne
8 Whiteman Street | Southbank,
Victoria, 3006, Australia
(P): 03 9292 8888
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