Twenty years since Le Meridien had a property in Australia, it’s back again, with a five-star hotel opening this past March in Melbourne, complete with a rooftop pool, 24-hour gym with TechnoGym equipment and several dining spaces.
The French hotel brand was previously in Melbourne in the early ‘00s, occupying the space that’s now the InterContinental Melbourne. This time ‘round, it’s occupying the Art Déco-style building that once housed the Palace Theatre on bustling Bourke Street.
The hotel drew inspiration for its design from the building’s past as a theatre, Le Meridien’s aviation history (it started by Air France) and, of course, the French brand’s ethos. The hotel’s design also features local and emerging artists, including video artist Wendy Lee and sculptor Martha Figurato.
“European luxury with a distinct Melbourne twist infiltrates almost every touchpoint n the hotel, from design influences, art and the menu in our signature restaurant Dolly, to the European style in our staff uniforms with pocket squares, neck scarves and lapel pins,” says Peter Minatsis, Le Meridien Melbourne’s General Manager.
The hotel is home to 235 mid-century Melbourne-designed rooms across 12 stories, 14 of which are suites. All rooms feature Malin + Goetz amenities, Marshall speakers and a 55-inch LCD TV. Suits are fitted with black stone kitchenettes, Smeg appliances and turntables and vinyl by artists who’ve performed at the site over the years, including Prince and James Brown.
Guests can grab a snack at the hotel’s lobby café Intermission in the day, or a drink when it transitions into a wine bar after sunset. If they descend an Art Décor spiral staircase from the lobby, they’ll reach Dolly, only open for dinner. In line with the rest of the hotel, the restaurant serves classic European dishes using seasonal Victorian produce and with theatre in mind.
Minatsis says his favourite space in the property, though, is the “showstopper”. Le Splash pool deck on the hotel’s fifth floor. For hotel guests only, the deck surrounding the 18-metre pool offers sweeping views of Parliament House and Bourke Street. Eventually, the deck will be opened to the public for movie screenings and one-off DJ nights.
“Think European beach club in the heart of Melbourne,” Minatsis says. “This truly is a space where guests can relax as well as immerse themselves in some summer party moments, if they so wish. The pool deck really is to be admired and enjoyed, no matter the weather.”
Another favourite corner of Minatsis’ is the “quirky, yet convenient” phone booths on the hotel’s conference room floor. They act as private working booths.
He says he wants guests to stop, slow down and take in, or better yet, savour their time during their stay, just as it had been in the golden age of travel. “Our goal is to allow every guest a moment to feel they’ve been well looked after, enjoyed incredible service and to have been able to escape even for a moment,” he says.
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