48 AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM
AllATreviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
LEFT: Pink and grey tones of the
Airstream’s interior; The space is
stylishly lit; Ash Keating’s mural
adds Insta-cred; Neon pink vibes.nonsensical. We then have to lug our luggage up
three flights of stairs to access the rooftop. I wonder
if guaranteed weight loss is part of the rate.
The interiors of our shiny, silver-bullet caravan
are elegant in sleek pastel pink and grey tones.
The bathroom is impressive with a decent rain
shower and plenty of room. At the head of the bed
there’s a tiny window; I pull back the curtain to let
the cool city views beam in, but only see an office
worker at his desk in the building across the street.
The Ash Keating pink mural that takes up the
entire wall of the adjacent building is certainly
on the hipster spectrum and gives colour to an
otherwise unrelenting grey setting, as does the red
Astroturf between caravans. We explore the Notel
app, which seems to be hustling us back down the
fire stairs to explore the city, but we’ve paid to be
here so feel obliged to stick around and absorb some
vibes. It’s cold outside and there’s no one else here
but the neighbouring office workers, making usfeel
like lost extras on the wrong film set. Weeventually
give up and head out. We return after dinner to get
cosy, but the sounds of the city and carsdriving
into the carpark beneath us means that taking
advantage of the 11am check-out isn’t as sweet as
we’d like. All up, I calculate that for our$395 we
spent two-and-a-half waking hours here.
Notel would be an awesome place tostay with
mates for a shindig, but it’s not rightfor a lonesome
pair. In Melbourne, you can find better bang for
your buck at an establishment with breakfast and
elevators, which, in the end, we did.IT DIDN’T START SO WELL. A pre-stay
email requesting I not be ‘boring’ or ‘break’ stuff,
and suggesting I cancel my booking and check
into the Hilton if I dare expect anything ‘normal’
from my accommodation, had my brow furrowing.
Okaaay. I get they’re giving irreverence a go and
the name Notel is meant to indicate something
different to a hotel; something cool and edgy.
But for someone paying $395 per night, the tone
might be just a little off. I decided to put the mild
irritation behind me; this stay is meant to be fun
after all: cool, vintage ’70s Airstream caravans that
have been deposited on an inner-city rooftop. It’s
urban glamping and it’s a bit underground (albeit
one-storey above). Plus, there’s an 11am checkout,
and free wi-fi and Netflix, so I’m confident these
guys understand hospitality.
We check in at 3pm. Which isn’t really check-in
because that’s all done on an app on your required
smartphone. If you don’t have a smartphone, you
can’t stay here, which seems fine because even
my luddite parents have a smartphone between
them, and I’m sure anyone older isn’t hunting in
Melbourne’s back alleys for a rooftop trailer park.
Even though the entrance to the fire stairs is right
next to the office and open, we’re directed to
drag our luggage outside and into a cafe next door
to access the fire stairs from a different door. It’sDETAILS
NOTEL
Corner of Harper Lane
and Flinders Lane (above
Frys Fast Park), Vic;
notelmelbourne.com.au
Verdict: Notel falls short of its
cool, edgy promise, but would
be a great place to book for a
party (though you can’t bring
your own alcohol so this would
have to be an organised event).
Score:
We rated: The inner-city
convenience, all-inclusive mini
bar and 11am check-out.
We’d change: The price for
what you get is pretty steep.
It feels like a slightly classier
hostel for the price of a
full-service hotel. It’s a lot to pay
for novelty and a few Instagram
posts and we couldn’t shake the
‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ feeling.trailer
Can an INSTA-
WORTHY Airstream
on a ROOFTOP
match Melbourne’s
cool? LARA PICONE
checks in to Notel.
park...
WEEKENDS | Reviews
PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW CURTIS