AustralianGourmetTraveller-June2018

178 GOURMET TRAVELLER

PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS (JACKALOPE)

Rooftop at QT.

Atrium Bar on 35.

SOFITEL MELBOURNE ON COLLINS

A marquee name in a top-end city location, the Sofitel prevails among

newcomers because of old-fashioned virtues: service par excellence

delivered with Gallic charm. Guestrooms are beginning to date but it’s hard

to quibble when the views are so glorious – even entry-level rooms have

views from the 36th floor and above – and the generously sized bathrooms

are an ageless paean to the power of marble. The sparkle that’s fading

in guestrooms shines bright in communal areas; the potentially awkward

inward-looking nature of the 35th-floor Atrium Bar, for example, is overcome

with a spectacular 15-storey mirrored chandelier.25 Collins St, Melbourne,

(03) 9653 0000, sofitel-melbourne.com.au

Admire the grandly

proportioned lobby and

adjoining Sofi’s Lounge, home

of elegant afternoon teas where

guests laden with shopping bags

from Collins Street’s boutiques

assemble for refreshments.

With two types of iced tea

ofered during check-in,

massage chairs in the 36th-floor gym,

and in-room tablets to order anything

from a taxi to a dental kit, Sofitel

leaves the impression that everything

has been thoroughly considered.

The magnificent marble-clad

No 35 is the home of a

well-considered breakfast bufet ($45),

where juice shots mix it with cooked-

to-order eggs and Asian specialties

mingle with muesli and yoghurts.

Minibars reach peak excitement

with bottled cocktails from

Melbourne’s favourite mix-masters,

The Everleigh Bottling Co, or head to

the Atrium for a classic cocktail. But

with bars such as Siglo and Romeo

Lane so close by, there are plenty

of reasons to venture further afield.

WHERECBD.COST

From $290, without

breakfast.AT A GLANCE

363 rooms and suites,

adjoining rooms; bar,

restaurant, health

centre, paid valet

parking.IN ROOMPaid

WiFi, smart TV, Samsung

tablet, bath, cofee

machine, pillow menu,

Les Notes de Lanvin

toiletries.BEST ROOMS

Fancy having friends

over to enjoy

180-degree views from

the 50th floor? The

elegant Opera Suites

have dining tables for

eight, as well as guest

powder rooms.

QT MELBOURNE

Compared with other hotels in QT’s

flamboyant stable, the Melbourne

outpost is positively minimalist. You may

not discern this from the look of the

lobby, with lofty copper doors, video art

and a busy cake shop. Or the staircase

flanked by an installation of stacked

paperbacks, which leads to the velvet-

and leather-clad Pascale Bar & Grill with

party soundtrack. But the mood calms

noticeably on the way to guestrooms,

which feature high, raw-concrete

ceilings, oak floors, large windows and

city glimpses. Bathrooms tap into the

chic industrial vibe with white tiles and

steel-framed walls of rippled glass. The

11th-floor rooftop bar is a must, its views

reinforcing QT’s rightful place at the

heart of Melbourne.133 Russell St,

Melbourne, (03) 8636 8800,

qtmelbourne.com

Some of the best blades in the

world are stocked at Tanto,

the laneway Japanese knife store

that’s part of the hotel complex.

QT Melbourne upholds

the group’s reputation for

cut-above minibars, adding jigsaw

puzzles, dominoes, a children’s book,

beard-trimming kit and tote bag to

quality booze and snacks.

Breakfast in Pascale features

sharp service and an à la carte

menu of cold-pressed juices, eggs

from certified happy chooks and

dishes that run the gamut from Bircher

to fry-up. At lunch and dinner the

theme is quality steakhouse, with

plenty of grill action. The room-service

menu hits the right notes with burgers,

hefty sandwiches and salads, served

in black lacquer boxes.

Choose your bar depending

on weather and mood: Rooftop

at QT for its good-time outdoor

terrace; Pascale Bar & Grill for its

extensive cocktail list. Or head across

the street to Embla for cult wines.

WHERECBD.COSTFrom $320, without breakfast.AT A GLANCE188 rooms; bars, restaurant, café, gym, paid

valet parking.IN ROOMFree WiFi, Bose Bluetooth speaker, some baths, cofee machine, Malin + Goetz toiletries.

BEST ROOMS The eight spacious QT corner rooms have freestanding baths and plenty of natural light.

Melbourne