Hotel review: W Melbourne

Check in to a Melbourne CBD hotel where business meets bold.

W Hotels are famously frisky and while the Melbourne outpost, opened in 2021, initially presents a more buttoned-up façade, it quickly flaunts its fun side. 

W Melbourne's Fabulous Room

Location

W Melbourne sits within Collins Arch, a commercial, residential and hospitality  development dominating the block bordered by Market, Williams, and Collins Streets, and Flinders Lane. 

This central location provides easy on-foot access to Melbourne's key attractions. Southern Cross Station, the major transport hub, is a 900m walk, while Crown Casino sits just over 500m away. Culture lovers are close to the NGV (850m), and sports fans can reach Rod Laver Arena and the MCG in around 2km.

W Melbourne's central location makes it the perfect city stay

The vibe

From the outside, the hotel is modern Minecraft with two off-kilter, high-rise buildings connected by a sky bridge to create a futuristic arch. At street level there’s a grassed area and plentiful trees take the edge off the gleaming glass and concrete; once inside, it’s an all-black affair (hello, Melbourne) with a kaleidoscopic artwork glowing like a stained-glass window behind the check-in desks.

Kaleidoscopic artwork glows like a stained-glass window behind the check-in desk

The room

In my room - a 72sqm Marvellous suite with separate lounge and bedroom - floor-to-ceiling windows and mirrors blur outside and in. Murals, inspired by the street art in the city's laneways, are splashed onto a feature wall, with a cheeky, if slightly cheesy, slogan ("There’s Always a Wild Side to An Innocent Face") graffitied onto mirrors.  

The monotone palette and marble, chrome and lacquer is made cosy by splashes of jewel colours and cosy, plush-textured soft furnishings. The focal point in the lounge area is a substantial mini-bar, a W specialty. In big hotels mass-market often reigns but this one is imaginative, featuring local products Melbourne Jerky, a giant Chocilo freckle in the shape of a W, the Gospel Whiskey, and Curatif pre-mixed cocktails. Some adult toys (a kit for sexy time) and kid ones too (a Nanoblock set of a Melbourne tram) add to the fun.

The 72sqm Marvellous suite with separate lounge and bedroom

No self-respecting high-end hotel has anything but the bed-of-your-dreams, but so addictive are W’s beds they are available for purchase online (the king bed goes for close to $10,000).  The marshmallowy topper and pillows, including full-body and memory foam options, and exemplary bedside set-up (no PhD needed to turn off the lights or find somewhere to charge my phone). 

The bathroom is marble and luxurious, the hair and body products the deliciously fragrant and sustainable Davines Essential MOMO from Italy. Amenities like the "Quick Fix" mending kit and "So Vain" shower cap, are delivered with a wink and a nod to W’s signature lingo. The wardrobe is generous and functional, the steamer, as well as ironing board, a thoughtful bonus for stylish travelers.

My suite's bathroom is marble and luxurious

Food and drinks

Competing with Melbourne's fabulous drinking and dining scene is no easy feat, but the hotel has solid options if you’ve spent a day in team-building exercises or enjoying a staycation or post-sightseeing quiet time and don’t have the energy to head out.

Curious, the hotel bar, exudes a moody Blade Runner ambiance. While the dark, reflective space gives it an edgy, if slightly impersonal feel, the original cocktails are inventive and vibrant.  The "Where the Wild Things" with tequila, grapefruit, and blood orange wine is a standout.  Classic cocktails, labeled "When All Else Fails," are expertly executed.

The cocktails at W Melbourne are innovative and vibrant

The breakfast buffet, while generally a highlight at W Hotels, feels somewhat generic and lacks the local flavors found at other Ws I’ve stayed at in Sydney, Brisbane and Singapore. 

My pick for a hotel meal is room service. The mushroom risotto is tasty and comforting and delivered with speed. Bonus for is the "done" button gadget on the tray, a clever way to quickly alert the kitchen to collect the dirty dishes. Another big tick to the option for the grocery shopping service on offer. 

The food on offer is, as they say, chef's kiss

The extras

A great pool and well-equipped gym are part of W’s DNA and the Melbourne property’s 14th floor recreation area is a refreshing way start, end or wile away the day. 

What's hot

The Marriott Bonvoy rewards program offers more than just discounts and upgrades. Marriott Bonvoy Moments provides access to exclusive experiences like F1 access and corporate box suites at major US sporting events.

Poolside pilates is on the cards at W Melbourne

What's not

The proximity of my room to the adjacent corporate workspace means from my bed sheets I can just about see the spreadsheets on computers of the office workers. Note to self: keep the curtains closed when sleeping.

The verdict: 8.5/10

W Melbourne caters to both business travelers and leisure seekers offering an international standard of luxury with localised flourishes. 

Rates start at $365. For more information go to W Melbourne.

The writer was a guest of W Melbourne.

Originally published as Hotel review: W Melbourne