Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank

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Posted 2020-03-03 by Nadine Cresswell-Myatt ⇒ follow

I cherished my stay at the new Holiday Express Inn Melbourne Southbank. There were moments when I felt totally relaxed, comfortable and happy. That is the way a hotel should make guests feel. Location, location, location

If you have the occasion to spend a night in Melbourne, then finding the Holiday Inn Express Southbank is easy. Catch the train to Flinders Street Station, then take The Yarra Footbridge that links Flinders St Station to Southgate. The Holiday Inn Express is less than five minutes walk.

The hotel is tucked in behind Southgate near the NGV and in the shadow of the Arts Centre spire. This makes it the perfect hotel for anyone heading off to the Australian Open (15-minute walk), MCG (see it from your window) and Grand Prix (short tram ride). As for exhibitions and concerts, simply step outside as you are already in the arts zone. For shopping, I wandered through Melbourne's iconic alleyways to Bourke Street, which took 15 minutes, although I could have taken the free tram.

Because of the brilliant location, there is no need for a car, but if you happen to drive in it is nice to know that the hotel offers secure parking for a fee. I opted to use this and was pleased with the spacious airy car park. A rarity in the centre of Melbourne.

Interior design elements

I was smitten by the decor. Driving in I noticed the massive mural of geometric patterns (a nod to Melbourne's street art) and on the other side were huge panels of colourful glass reminiscent of a panelled LED dance floor. It looked wondrous when illuminated at night.

There's an attractive foyer with comfortable chairs all decked out in a vibrant red but the reception is on the 7th floor. Starting your stay from such a height makes you feel as if you are hovering above the city in a secure sanctuary.

The feeling of experiencing Melbourne from a height was a thought that crossed my mind a few times during my stay. Every space has a decal map taking up major wall spaces. The map is a bird's eye view of the surrounding area. It is the view you might see if you were floating over Melbourne on a hot air balloon ride. What looks like twisted branches are all the bends in the Yarra River and the surrounding patchwork is Melbourne's rectangular grid system of streets and roads.

The areas that would have been parklands and ovals are then filled in on the map with splashes of vibrant colour, so it becomes a work of abstract art.

The bright furniture matches the vibrant splotches on the map. It's mustard yellow in the dining space, warm red on the comfortable chairs near reception and in the next space a pretty blue. It feels like different rooms but in fact, the 7th floor is simply known as the "Great Room" with different colours denoting different areas. A colourful feast for the senses.

Drinks on the balconyA great time to arrive is happy hour (5-7pm). The Tatachilla Shiraz I had was excellent. Outside is a balcony where you can sit looking out at the surrounding city buildings. It's like a window to the world. I glimpse historic Flinders Street Station between high-rise buildings such as the HWT. We were so high I could see inside and the lights were on, so the night editor and his team must have been hard at work. As it was peak hour, there was traffic below. What a wonderful relaxing feeling knowing you are above it all tucked away on your shelf above the city.

The balcony area is called the Winter Garden and is planted with bougainvillea with blooms of stunning reds and pinks. It matched my pink gin cocktail with the red strawberries bobbing on top. This is such a sustainable hotel so I did wonder about the straw. Then I realised it was an edible straw made from strawberry candy to match my cocktail.

Food (dine in or call & collect)

Not being a stuffy or formal place, you simply order your food at the bar and then you can choose to sit in a variety of spaces. It might be in the attractive dining area (which might be nice if you are with a date) in the lounge section, at the workbench style eateries if you are still hard at it, in front of the humongous screen if a special match was on or on the outside balcony for alfresco dining.

It's a moderately priced menu with classics most people enjoy such as pizzas, schnitzels and salads. I ordered an excellent steak, which included two sides of my choosing. Due to the number of healthy options, I could boost my vegetable intake for the day with a side of steamed vegetables and salad.

Or you can stay in your room. There's a menu tool on your TV screen and you then call and order your meal and they phone you when it's ready, and you collect it.

Re room service - 24-hour availability such as the soup of the day, Caesar salad, pizza Margherita and the curry. No mini-bar. Clever hotels are doing away with these exorbitantly priced tourist traps. Instead, you are right across the street from a 24-hour convenience store if you feel like a treat. And there is a much larger selection of temptations than those old-fashioned mini-bars.

Free Breakfast

Holiday Inn Express hotels have a philosophy. Keep it simple and smart by providing guests with more where it matters most. And this includes a free buffet breakfast. Again, you eat where you wish but the food is laid out in a bright yellow sunshine beam of a room.

There was the novelty of being able to make your own pancakes with a push button pancake machine. A bit like a hotel toaster but instead pushing out perfectly round pancakes. There were a host of cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurt, and hot foods such as bacon, sausages and scrambled eggs. But interesting options for additions such as chilli and fried shallots.

There was a good range of healthy options such as superfoods (chia & pepitas), berry compote and yogurt. Signage around helps you to pimp your breakfast with the ingredients on hand ,so you can end up with a Melbourne cafe-style breakfast. For example, one card had instructions on how to make a Tradie's Croissant.

While, I didn't make that one. I was inspired by the concept to create a dish of scrambled eggs, with fresh spinach, shallots and a dollop of hollandaise. I also saw some people grabbing breakfast to take on the go such as pots of yoghurts, fruits and pastries.

There are coffee machines, so you can make your own cappuccinos, lattes and so on. Coffee was good!
Free Wi-Fi and Tech

Wi-Fi is free throughout the Holiday Inn Express, meaning you can work from anywhere. In fact, I wrote most of this in the lounge area because it is such a quiet place to work. There are heaps of places to plug in your computer or your phone and these are at the height you are seated. so you don't have to go scrambling around on the floor looking for power points. Something I loathe doing.

There isn't a business centre but they supply iPads you can print from - the self-service printer is free to use for up to five pages. Great if you need to print out tickets, itineraries or the like. True to their philosophy Holiday Inn Express really does give guests more of what they need.

And the place is so high tech. Solar panels on the roof provide most of the electricity - heating the water in the power showers, the lighting and even operating the elevators. This has to be one of Australia's most environmentally friendly hotels.
Rooms

Rejoice in this new hotel as everything is so fresh and pristine. From the white crisp sheets on the king size beds to the immaculate bathrooms that have glass walls. You can't see in but it lets in lots of light, so you never feel closed in. That incredible bird's eye map of Melbourne is also etched on the glass.

A special bonus for make-up wearers is the special lighting around the mirrors.

My room was on the top floor and I had the corner room ( #2201 ). From this elevated vantage point the huge curved side-entry to the NGV looked like a mouse hole.

I did wonder whether any other hotel in Melbourne could provide so many views of transport in one frame as I could see a rowing boat on the Yarra, a tram, a bus and trains snaking into Flinders Street. In the morning, I even got to see hot air balloons at eye-level in the distance drifting over Melbourne.

As night fell the Arts Centre spiral-lattice lit up and on the other side skyscraper lights twinkled. While the view was stunning, I decided to make use of the block out blinds to see if they might quell my usual bouts of insomnia. Next thing I knew, night had been overtaken by morning. Perfect sleep.

Just Ask for it

The Holiday Inn Express system is about making things simple. Streamlining. No fuss, no bother. You aren't inundated with all kinds of bits and bobs you won't need. Instead, great basics like an excellent range of Urban Skincare Eco toiletries. But there is a sign up saying if you need something just ask - toothbrushes, cotton balls and razors are available for free upon request.

There's a laundry and the washing detergent is free. Great friendly staff. As I stayed in for the day to do some work, I had lots of small requests. Nothing was too much trouble.

Price

As in most hotels, room rates are dependent on occupancy levels and whether it is a weekday or a weekend. I did ask the lovely Khalil on reception about prices. He said they could be as low as $180 and up to $265. His tip was that best rooms are the deluxe room on floors 18 and above. Having seen the wonderful view, I have to agree.