CROWN METROPOL MELBOURNE
Crown Metropol is a far cry from clichés of casino hotels. Instead of plush pile and complimentary chips it’s all clean lines, Danish-influenced design and casual, even quirky touches that create a seam of character in one of the country’s largest hotels. The rooms have a hipsterish, mini-apartment feel (note the key bowl and doodle-patterned bedspread) that attracts a younger clientele. But there is also a surprising number of families, drawn no doubt by one of the nation’s best hotel pools – an infinity-edge affair with ocean views. On the downside, sometimes the queue at reception looks almost as endless. 8 Whiteman St, Southbank, (03) 9292 8888, crownmelbourne.com.au
WHERE Southbank. COST From $268, without breakfast. AT A GLANCE 658 rooms and lofts, adjoining rooms; bars, restaurant, pool, fitness centre, steam room, paid valet and self-parking. IN ROOM Free WiFi, some baths and coffee machines, pillow menu. BEST ROOMS A modest upgrade to a “Sky High Club” King Luxe room opens access to the 28 Skybar Lounge, with complimentary canapés, valet parking and breakfast. The art collection adds unexpected whimsy to lift lobbies and public areas.
David Sequiera’s library of blue-spined books is a bright spot at 28 Skybar Lounge.
Settle poolside in a banana chair or the hot tub and gaze across Port Phillip Bay.
Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar is a one-stop shop for breakfast, lunch sandwiches, coffee, cocktails and dinner with a twist
(it also handles in-room dining).
The generous breakfast buffet ($41.50, $29.50 Continental) features health-conscious options such as Bircher muesli and impressive fruit platters.
The views from the 28th-floor Skybar Lounge stretch over the city to Port Phillip Bay and east to the Dandenongs, and partner as well with a signature Breakfast Martini (gin, Grand Marnier and marmalade) as a late-night Red
Lips (rum, gin and shiraz).