Beat goes on at Melbourne’s Le Meridien hotel
This property rose from the rubble of a demolished theatre but developers have done a sterling job of honouring the site’s history without dancing on its grave.
Melburnians are prone to holding a grudge when it comes to the demise of favourite cultural institutions. I know people who still refuse to set foot in the pizza joint that took over when Fitzroy’s much-loved live music haunt The Punters Club closed in 2002. So when Le Meridien Melbourne rose from the rubble of the recently demolished Palace Theatre at the top end of Bourke St, after an unsuccessful campaign to save the 110-year-old building from the wreckers’ ball, its operators would have been bracing for a frosty reception.
But the world moves on, and the hotel’s European elegance, modern art program and mid-century design feels like an inspired fit for the city’s entertainment precinct. Plus, I suspect even the most hardened heritage defenders feel a touch of relief that visitors are once again being drawn to the city after the dark days of the pandemic.
The building tops out at 12 storeys, with the top half set back discreetly from the street, and it feels intimately connected to this vibrant uptown neighbourhood. There’s a tram stop out front but you’re unlikely to need it. Fitzroy Gardens, Federation Square, the boutiques of Collins St (we’re at the Paris end) and the MCG are all within strolling distance. Tick off Princess Theatre (Mamma Mia! returns in October), Her Majesty’s Theatre (2:22 – A Ghost Story is currently showing, with Chicago coming next year), Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, and a couple of great bookstores. Cultural credentials thus established.
The 1950s Art Deco facade is all that remains of the former, 1912-built building, which over its lifetime had served as a nightclub, theatre, cinema, dance hall, and even a Christian revival centre. The operators like to point out that the first building to occupy the site was also a hotel (The National), which opened in 1854. Melbourne architects Peddle Thorp have done a sterling job of honouring the site’s history without dancing on its grave, melding theatrical flair with nods to the golden age of travel, reflecting the hotel brand’s 1960s Parisian roots as layover pads for Air France flight crews.
Glass sliding doors lead to a dazzling lobby of polished stone, terrazzo and Grecian fluted columns. A textural totem sculpture by artist Marta Figueiredo draws the eye, as does a
projected video artwork by Wendy Yu of breakdancers, whose movements leave lingering smears on the screen, which seems slightly incongruous with the rather bland lounge music emanating from the grand piano in front, but is undeniably absorbing.
The all-day cafe bar Intermission riffs on the MGM cinema that was here in the ’50s, with green marble benchtops, a retro-styled menu board and signature Le Scoop gelato bar. I can imagine theatregoers stopping by for a pre-show meal and a glass of rose, but it’s an equally chic daytime hangout, serving proper Melbourne coffee by Axil. A mural by Melbourne artist Stephen Baker lines the private porte-cochere driveway, and a spiralling, balustrade staircase descends to Dolly, a sparkling, subterranean restaurant heavy on ’30s Hollywood nostalgia and decked out with fluted chrome booths, marble tabletops, and chestnut leather banquettes.
Helmed by executive chef Christian Graebner (Pan Pacific), the menu updates French favourites of the ’80s, anchored by an artfully deconstructed beef Wellington, with succulent fillets of Gippsland’s O’Connor Beef tenderloin arranged around flaky pastry, silver beet, prosciutto, mushrooms and a French sauce. Coffin Bay oysters with champagne sorbet are on point, but I’d prefer to see Tasmanian salmon kept off menus in favour of more environmentally sustainable alternatives. The wine list draws heavily on the “dress circle” of vineyards surrounding Melbourne, from Macedon Ranges to Mornington Peninsula, although there’s no sign of a sommelier and the waitstaff in general are a little green (it’s early days during my visit in April). The theatrical torching of Dolly’s signature dessert of Bombe Alaska sends us off in retro style. It’s a lot of fun.
So too is the resort-like rooftop pool deck, Le Splash, overlooking Bourke St and lined with young olive trees, umbrellas and sun lounges. Come evening the rooftop bars of Madame Brussels and Loop Bar across the street swell with after-work revellers and the whole scene feels like a block party. Send for a signature le spritz cocktail and lobster roll and pray the weather is playing ball.
There are 235 guestrooms, including 14 suites in various configurations. History buffs might opt for a heritage room, which gives the bizarre impression of being trapped in an archaeological dig, with a window to the rear of the retained facade and the gutted remnants of what would have been the former VIP balcony of the Metro nightclub, where my companion has somewhat hazy memories of dancing in the late 1990s. We’re in the Palace Suite, a two-bedroom corner spread on level 12.
From our sleeping quarters we can see the Dandenong Ranges poking up behind parliament and St Patrick’s Cathedral, while floor to ceiling windows in the living space preside over the rooftops of Bourke St and the shimmering blue rectangle of Le Splash. With its mid-century meets contemporary furnishings, black stone kitchenette and eight-seater timber dining table, the 87sq m suite has the feel of a sophisticated city apartment, rather than an audacious penthouse. Would I trade all I own to live here? Quite possibly.
The marble-lined bathroom has a deep bathtub with window views and Malin + Goetz amenities. There’s a 55-inch LCD smart TV, a minibar full of local goodies, and a Polaroid camera for creating retro-hued memories. But our favourite feature must be the turntable, with accompanying vinyl from artists who once performed on the site. We exhaust the selection and ring reception to request reinforcements. The hotel must have profiled our home record collection, because a bell boy arrives clutching classic albums by the Pixies, Wilco and My Bloody Valentine. We dim the lights, turn up the volume and for a surreal moment the years are wound back and we’re on the balcony at the Metro. I guess you can dance on the old building’s grave after all. You sure as hell can’t stop the music.
IN THE KNOW
Le Meridien Melbourne is at 20 Bourke St. A “L’Amour Melbourne” package is available until September 30 and includes accommodation in a King Deluxe guestroom, Le Scoop gelato, bottle of rose, buffet breakfast and 1pm checkout; $399 for two, twin-share.
marriott.com
Ricky French was a guest of Le Meridien Melbourne and Marriott Bonvoy.
