String of new luxury bathrooms for city workers who ride, run or walk to work

IF you ride, run or walk to work in Melbourne’s CBD, your end-of-trip experience could be a whole lot fancier thanks to some luxury facilities you probably never knew existed.

IF you ride, run or walk to work in Melbourne’s CBD, your end-of-trip experience could be a whole lot fancier thanks to some luxury facilities you probably never knew existed.

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Luxury end-of-trip facilities are becoming more common in Melbourne’s CBD office buildings giving workers access to five-star bathrooms and locker areas. The latest is an estimated $7 million architecturally designed facility at prestige office tower 101 Collins St, featuring marble finishes, a lounge area, towel service, luxury shower and grooming products, secure bike bays and personal lockers.

Operations administrator Sam Tallent said she felt like she entered a hotel day spa when she used the facility, which opened last week.

“You feel like you’re a million miles away from work even though you’re only a few flights below,” she said.

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Nathan Penny and Sam Tallent enjoy the changerooms at 101 Collins St. Picture: Ian Currie

Building concierge Nathan Penny, who rides 18km to work every day from Keilor East, said the luxury facilities and secure bike parking made his daily commute more comfortable.

“The layout and decor is great, they’ve got shampoo, conditioner and body lotion in the showers and there are no queues,” he said. “A lot more people are coming down to the desk to inquire about how they can use it.”

Brett Dillon, head of funds management at AXA Investment Manager, which own 101 Collins St, said 80 per cent of the 500 bike bays and 512 personal lockers had already been pre-booked by workers in the building.

“It has been designed to emulate the amenity of a six-star hotel meaning it is much more than a changeroom and bicycle facility; it’s a place of respite and relaxation,” he said.

“The trend of running and cycling to work is rising rapidly while car parking demand is softening, dropping by roughly 30 per cent in the last five years.”

It comes on the back of a multimillion-dollar facility at RACV club in Bourke St, opened in October last year.

Bicycle Network general manager of public affairs Anthea Hargreaves said the number of bike commuters into the CBD was growing rapidly. The Network’s recent annual Super Tuesday count found an 11 per cent rise along the Canning St entrance to the CBD and an 8 per cent rise along St Kilda Rd.