The new Sheraton Melbourne - a breath of fresh air at the Paris end of Collins Street

BRIAN Crisp finds out what’s new in the Victorian capital, road-testing its latest five-star hotel, The Sheraton Melbourne.

I LOVE it when everything is shiny and new at a hotel. And it is even better when everything works. The staff are still learning so they are extra helpful and their smiles haven’t yet become manufactured.

The Sheraton on Little Collins St is in its honeymoon period after opening earlier this year and it is a breath of fresh air compared with some of the city’s CBD hotel offerings.

It is everything a five-star hotel should be – modern, well-designed and comfortable. I was upgraded – thank you – on arrival to a superior room on the ninth floor, which had wraparound windows offering a 180-degree view of the city.

Melbourne had turned on a blue-sky winter day so I flung open the curtains, lay down on my extremely comfortable king-size bed, and enjoyed the scenery.

The hotel is at the top end (apparently it’s called the Paris end) of the street not far from Parliament House and Melbourne’s beautiful Treasury Gardens.

The street entrance is practical, but not impressive. The check-in and other public areas are practical, but you would never use the word grand. Perhaps compact is a better description.

This hotel, with 174 guest rooms and 11 terrace suites, is all about the room. And I guess that’s how it should be.

Mine had a wide-screen television with a selection of Foxtel channels, an ornate armchair, desk, fully stocked mini bar and a stand-alone cupboard with iron and ironing board. Hooray! It’s annoying having to ring reception to get these things sent up to the room.

The bathroom had ample space. It included a big bath, open shower, generous vanity and toilet. I’m not a fan of the open shower though. Water tends to go everywhere so I used more than my quota of towels drying the floor after every shower.

While on the subject of things I don’t like, hotels have to stop charging ridiculous amounts for internet access. There is no justification. We all remember pre-mobile days when making a phone call from a hotel was price prohibitive. Well, today it’s the internet.

The Sheraton charges $20 for 24 hours. In my job I stay in hotels all around the world. Most, in overseas countries, do not charge for the internet. When you are paying $350 for a room a night, it should include internet access.

On the first night of my stay I dined at Andrew McConnell’s newest Melbourne restaurant Supernormal, an Asian-inspired restaurant and bar at 180 Flinders Lane – about a five-minute walk from the hotel.

The intriguingly named restaurant was buzzing. There was a waiting list at the door but staff quickly found guests somewhere to sit and put a drink in your hand.

I started with a pan-fried spicy bun ($6) before the grilled Rangers Valley strip loin and rib of beef with pepper sauce ($35). I added a side of sauteed mushrooms, black barley and Chinese black olive ($16).

The food popped in my mouth. It was a pleasant explosion of flavour and you could almost taste Asia with every mouthful.

Afterwards, I continued on the Asia theme and headed to Hihou (meaning Secret Treasure) for a nightcap. It really is a secret and not that easy to find. But if you are willing to give it a try, it is above lunch spot Nama Nama at 1 Flinders Lane.

The next morning, umbrella in hand, I took a 20-minute walk to the National Gallery of Victoria to take in the exhibition Italian Masterpieces from Spain’s Royal Court, Museo del Prado.

I paid $8 for a set of headphones and narrator/actor Vince Colosimo walked, and talked, me through the amazing seven-room exhibition.

The gallery, like the restaurant the night before, was also buzzing. There were families giggling around the incredible Paola Pivi bears, women arriving for tea and scones in one of the restaurants, trendy young couples holding hands on a date, and art connoisseurs searching for the hidden meaning of century-old wonders.

For dinner, friends had recommended two restaurants. The first, Tonka, is the sister restaurant to chef Adam D’Sylva’s restaurant, CODA. The other was the no-fuss, no-frills, no-rules Greek restaurant called Gazi in Exhibition St.

Before making that decision though, I tried The Spa at Sheraton Melbourne and booked in for a 60-minute massage ($155). Joy, a young therapist from northern Thailand, was tremendous. She found every knot and even though I squirmed underneath her elbow on the table – and at times it hurt a lot – my back felt completely relaxed by the time she had finished.

So relaxed in fact that I opted to head straight to my bed and order room service. The Sheraton’s room-service menu is comprehensive with everything on offer from sandwiches and soup to Cone Bay barramundi fillets. I opted for the grain-fed beef burger with cheddar cheese, which at $30 isn’t cheap, but I assure you it was delicious. The $8 tray delivery charge
was unexpected, which meant the delivery person went without a tip.

Melbourne is as famous for its coffee as its football, so on my third and final day in the city I tried out a couple of the new stand-up options – Patricia Coffee (corner of Little Bourke and William streets) and Traveller (2/14 Crossley St).

Most importantly, both served excellent coffee. Less importantly, but interestingly, both were filled with trendy hipsters reading newspapers.

It made my heart skip a beat.

The writer was a guest of Tourism Victoria and The Sheraton Melbourne.

GO2

For more information on Melbourne, see visitvictoria.com

To book The Sheraton Melbourne Hotel, see sheratonmelbourne.com

For more travel reviews visit escape.com.au