By Rama Gaind
WHEN you travel frequently, it’s vital that your hotel sojourn offers some comforts of home.
If you take into account some additional fringe benefits, then here are seven accommodation houses in Australia that are a cut above the rest.
1) Medina Executive, Brisbane, Queensland
LOCATED at the east-end of the city centre, the Medina Executive in Brisbane offers sweeping views of the Brisbane River, the city skyline and the iconic Story Bridge.
Our one-bedroom apartment on the 8th floor was the ideal spot to witness the best of Riverfire 2011 in September; we had ringside seats, sitting on the balcony, overlooking the Story Bridge!
Medina was the perfect location from which to view the firework displays on the bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, the pontoons on the Eagle Pier stretch of the Brisbane River and some of the tall buildings along the waterfront.
This is an ideal location from which to view the new year celebrations and making it a base for when the musical Mary Poppins arrives in January 2012.
Medina Executive Brisbane
15 Ivory Lane
Brisbane Qld 4000
(07) 3218 5800
2) Diamant Hotel – Sydney, NSW
IT’S effortless to feel on top of the world at the Diamant Hotel in Sydney – in the luxury penthouse – and easy to soak up the urban vibe.
Overlooking the city’s skyline and Sydney Harbour Bridge, the 12th floor three-bedroom penthouse combines contemporary luxury living with rock star glamour, located moments from Sydney’s most pulsating quarter.
The Diamant is located in the heart of Kings Cross, Potts Point and Darlinghurst triangle, offering Sydney’s biggest and eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, cafés and nightclubs.
Designed by renowned architects Burley Katon Halliday, the state-of-the-art entertainment systems, floor-to-ceiling windows, sun-drenched living spaces and private access with high-tech security creates an oasis in the sky for the sophisticated world traveller.
The three bedrooms are designed with practicality in mind: the lounge and dining areas, in the middle, are flanked on the one side by two bedrooms, each with their own en-suite bathrooms, a massive kitchen (almost of commercial proportions) and the main bedroom which has its own separate wing with a large en-suite bathroom with spa bath, powder room and a smaller balcony.
If you don’t want to cook, the penthouse comes with a butler service, on request!
Diamant Hotel (part of 8Hotels group)
14 Kings Cross Road
Potts Point NSW 2011
Telephone: (02) 9295 8888; freecalll 1800 037 544
Email: [email protected]
3) Wrest Point – Hobart, Tasmania
AUSTRALIA’S first legal casino, Wrest Point opened in February 1973, in a prime waterfront location on the Derwent River.
Its iconic tower has represented accommodation excellence in Hobart for the nearly four decades and now the hotel’s entertainment precinct has been enhanced.
Indulge in a fine dining experience at the award-winning Point Revolving Restaurant where head chef Kent Sullivan adds his own Tasmanian twist to traditional French-style cooking.
A must-see for any visitor is the Museum of Old and New Art – or MONA – which opened in Hobart in January 2011.
It houses a collection that ranges from ancient Egyptian mummies to some of the world’s most infamous and thought-provoking contemporary art. The owner, David Marsh, wants to change the way Australians view contemporary art and has adopted an unconventional and challenging curatorial approach.
It has to be seen to be believed.
Wrest Point
410 Sandy Bay Rd
Sandy Bay 7005
Hobart Tasmania
1800 703 006 (free call)
4) Vibe Hotel Rushcutters – Sydney
MY one-bedroom suite overlooked Rushcutters Bay Park and the Cruising Yacht Club Marina, with the hotel surrounded by Sydney’s most exclusive shopping and nightlife spots.
The options were endless: chill out and stay up late in Kings Cross, Double Bay, Paddington, Woollahra and Potts Point or escape the action and head to the rooftop swimming pool which has been voted among the ‘Top Five’ pools in Sydney.
It was a Vibe-rant sojourn in Rushcutters!
Vibe Hotel
100 Bayswater Road
Rushcutters Bay NSW 2011
Tel: (02) 8353-8988
Email: [email protected]
5) Lyall Hotel – Melbourne, Victoria
MELBOURNE offers a cultural feast with a variety of latest international exhibitions, theatre productions and popular festivals together with plenty of great shopping and sports.
Add to this, a tour to discover why Melbourne is Australia’s coffee-drinking capital with Maria Paoli from Evolving Success and your two-day stay is jam-packed with activity.
The chic Lyall Hotel and Spa in South Yarra is Melbourne’s only privately-owned and operated five-star hotel in a fashionable address that’s tucked away from the busy main road.
The welcoming ambience is appealing, but most unusual is the mini art gallery on each level with fireplace and oversized armchairs from where you can admire the original works.
Voted Australia’s ‘Leading Boutique Hotel’ by the World Travel Awards, the hotel has 40 suites of contemporary oriental design.
Being obsessed with getting a good night’s sleep, it was reassuring to know that the high quality mattress and non-allergenic pillows were in addition (or instead) of the pillows that dressed the bed. The choice was wide: feather and down, contour, anti-ageing and rubber core foam. Opting for the anti-ageing pillow, for obvious reasons, I had a comfortable, dreamless night’s sleep – but didn’t look any younger for it!
The Lyall Hotel
14 Murphy Street
South Yarra VIC 3141
Telephone: (03) 9868 8222
Evolving Success
Find Maria Paoli’s historical coffee trek and coffee making classes at www.evolvingsuccess.com.au
6) Crowne Plaza – Canberra
OVERLOOKING Glebe Park in the nation’s capital, Crowne Plaza’s central location places it within two minutes’ walk from Canberra’s National Convention Centre and near the city’s many shops, lively bars and restaurants.
Parliament House is three kilometres away, explore artistic treasures at Australia’s National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, look at walking routes around the shimmering waters of Lake Burley Griffin and the chime of the National Carillon and the Captain Cook Memorial fountain will be lasting memories of Canberra.
One of the best times to visit the nation’s capital is during Floriade in September.
Benefit from one of the great special summer sale packages and have a fabulous stay at the Crowne Plaza!
Crowne Plaza Hotel
1 Binara Street
Canberra ACT 2601
Tel: (02) 6246 8999
www.crowneplazacanberra.com.au
7) Swissôtel Sydney
THERE’S no such thing as a holiday with young children that’s hassle-free. Going to the beach and staying at a seaside resort offers many options, but one is hard-pressed when it comes to staying in a hotel.
Options are further restricted if you want to stay in the vibrant heart to the city. Well, that’s not the case any more – at least, not in Sydney.
The Swissôtel Sydney, in Market Street, is one deluxe five-star hotel that is very family-friendly.
Its kids room will delight those aged two to 12 years. They’ll be transported into a children’s wonderland where the rooms are bright with an abundance of plush toys, a children’s desk, colourful bed linen, special menu of DVD programs for young ones, bath amenities for junior guests, separate play area, children amenities and much more. The room is interconnected to a separate luxurious bedroom for the parents. There’s even chocolates and milk in the mini bar fridge!
What’s more, from every kids room booking, $20 goes to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.
As well, the honeymoon suite at the Swissôtel is indulgent: the rooms have spectacular views of the city, the bed is more than comfortable, bathroom is spacious, there was a Nespresso coffee machine and the room even came with a Wii!
It was the extra-special gestures that are appreciated: champagne on ice, the colourful bouquet with lilies, roses and gerberas were “really big, spectacular, and super fresh” and the chocolate-covered strawberries were a delicious touch.
To further enhance the hotel experience, have dinner at Jpb Restaurant and sample the best gastronomic feasts created by executive chef Justin Zammit.
This first-hand testimony from my newly-married son, Rajesh, and his wife, Beth, says it all: there was “really nothing about the room that wasn’t great!”
Swissôtel Sydney
68 Market Street, Sydney
Telephone: (02) 9238 8888
Email: [email protected]
