Le Méridien, Melbourne review: a former temple of rock is reborn
New CBD hotel Le Méridien has replaced Melbourne’s revered Palace Theatre. Is the result worthy of any applause?
Of all Australian cities, Melbourne is surely the most rock ’n’ roll. “It’s grungy, and proud of it,” claims a friend who lives there. “We like it this way.”
It’s hard to identify why the Victorian capital rocks a little harder than other cities. Is it because everyone wears black? Or is it the graffiti scrawled across so many city walls? Either way, there never has been, and never will be, a greater rock video than AC/DC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’N’ Roll), filmed on Swanston Street in the hard rocking year of 1976. If you’re ever in the market for a lesson in timeless cool, then google this masterpiece for a refresher.
Melbourne is changing, though. Progress is chipping away at the old city, dwarfing it under the glint of new CBD high-rises, mostly residential, that are being thrown up to accommodate the influx of new arrivals. It’s no coincidence that the old Melbourne skyline is vanishing as the city becomes Australia’s most populous. Pockets of retro cool are becoming harder to find among all the shiny glass.
Gentrification has come to the top of Bourke Street, too. Witness the opening of Le Méridien, a Marriott-owned hotel that has filled the gap left by the Palace Theatre, or the Palace as it was later known, one of Melbourne’s most historic entertainment halls.
In 2020, the Palace – which also hosted the Metro nightclub for years – was lost to the wreckers’ ball, despite city-wide objections; only the building’s Art Deco facade was retained. “Even though the demolition that’s happening inside the theatre is perfectly legal, it’s still morally outrageous,” Melbourne City councillor Rohan Leppert said at the time.
Opened this March, Le Méridien is a 12-storey glass tower situated behind the remnant Art Deco facade. Part of Marriott’s luxury “Bonvoy collection”, the hotel was designed by Victorian architects Peddle Thorp and offers 235 rooms, including 14 big and quite lovely suites.
Significant effort has been made to reference the building’s heritage, starting at the lobby, where guests will find Intermission, a slim hotel cafe/wine bar with a shiny 1940s candy bar look. The glitzy feel extends to the basement, where Dolly restaurant (named after the “dolly” shot used in filmmaking) is a stylised, Art Deco-inspired space of velvet-booths, marble tables and arched mirrors. It’s more jukebox than rock star, but the nod to the past is evident.
Outside on a wall facing Amphlett Lane (named after the late Divinyls singer Chrissy), which runs one length of the hotel, are a series of plaques commemorating the property’s entertainment roots. They reveal that over many incarnations dating back to 1855, the building has variously housed concert halls, vaudeville stages, movie theatres, bowling alleys, billiards rooms, restaurants, luncheon rooms, something called a “dancing saloon” and a concert and theatre hall (the musical Hair was staged here in the 70s). Between 1980 and 2012, the Metro nightclub hosted bands ranging from Violent Femmes to Nine Inch Nails.
The site’s famed and beautiful domed ceilings, much featured in black and white photography, were lost in the demolition.
Today’s rooms aren’t particularly ornate. Polished in neutral palettes of navy and white, they lean towards austere, the main features being wood-panelled furniture – desks, cupboards and sideboards – crafted in mid-century style. Amenities are simple; expect a tight assortment of goodies including Malin + Goetz bath products and The Everleigh Bottling Co bottled cocktails. If you’re after a bit more luxe, head to Le Méridien’s sister property, The Ritz-Carlton, which also opened in March.
The rooms’ best assets are their Melbourne views. My upper-floor premium room has a sparkling aspect of some of the city’s finest landmarks, including Parliament House, St Patrick’s Cathedral and Fitzroy Gardens.
A few of the lower-floor rooms feature plate-glass windows that look upon the Palace’s original edifice, unearthed during development works. These may well be the most fascinating rooms at the hotel, revealing a part of the building that can’t be seen externally behind the Art Deco facade. Peer out to see original lead lights, bricked archways and features that reveal the residual heart of the building. It’s a view onto the past.
Angus and Malcolm Young once claimed that you can’t stop rock ’n’ roll. Le Méridien has shown them.