$20 million transformation creates central Melbourne hotel with wow factor

The hotel

Hotel Indigo Melbourne on Flinders

Check-in

Strike a pose? It’s hard not to when you encounter the wall-size Helmut Newton-inspired photos in the lobby, suggesting more high-end fashion house than hotel, albeit one that has just undergone a $20 million revamp (it was previously a Holiday Inn).

Fashion forward: Hotel Indigo.

The reference to the famed photographer is no accident: Newton, who arrived in Melbourne from war-torn Europe in the 1940s as a refugee, once had a studio nearby and a brush with high-end portraiture is wielded with artistry across this 216-room hotel in Flinders Lane. But substance joins style on the guest list. In minutes I’ve checked in, been offered a seat at the bar, am shown where breakfast is and given a run-down on what’s nearby (just about everything).

The look

Reception … Hotel Indigo.

Gotham meets Golightly. Newton’s portraits of muses such as Grace Jones celebrated style, fun, drama, quality and retro cool – as does Melbourne, and nowhere more so than Flinders Lane, so the popping art works, retro lamps and moody corridor lighting make sense and fit the Indigo brief: that the hotel reflect its ’hood. Near the ground floor reception is a colour-dotted lounge and the bar – a golden orb with high red stools to perch on. It’s rarely empty, yet the vibe is relaxed, while Beso Restaurant – where a buffet breakfast is also served – buzzes on a rainy Tuesday night.

The room

Floor-to-ceiling views.

Shower scene screen.

Drama is everywhere in my corner suite, with two floor-to-ceiling vistas above Spencer Street and Flinders Lane that can be centre-stage on demand via push-button curtains and blinds. Along one wall of the lounge-kitchen, a monochrome face in sunglasses peeks behind a curtain over a red sofa, lit by the glow of a tripod camera lamp. There’s a desk and table with a distracting city view and a kitchen with a kettle, quality tea, coffee bags and a well-stocked fridge. A second face, a woman’s, dons the wall behind the king bed in the separate bedroom. There’s a walk-in robe with a safe, plenty of hanging space, an iron, and quality Seed & Sprout bathrobes. Don’t startle when you enter the bathroom where a swimmer in retro red decorates double shower doors. There’s a hairdryer, a serious make-up mirror, Biology products and even bathroom scales you can choose to avoid after a day of Melbourne deliciousness.

Food + drink

The streetside in-house Beso Spanish restaurant and bar offers Spanish and Victorian wines and tapas with a fresh twist by Spaniard Ana Cortes Garcia (try the oxtail dumplings with chilli oil and the Spiced Morcilla “Toastie” with apricot chutney). But this is Flinders Lane, so culinary excitement is everywhere. A few doors up is Katherine Place aka The Archway, home to Melbourne brunch favourite Hardware Societe and a mix of restaurant cuisines. Wander further along the lane for big-name tastes such as Chin-Chin, Coda and, NOMAD plus plenty more casual eateries, cafes and bars such as Trinket, which also offers tapas and a speccy chandelier. Back to the hotel, breakfast is a quality buffet with Cartel coffee and scrambled eggs so good they’re puzzling.

Out + about

Gold touches .. the bar at Besos on the ground floor.

Convenience is king – Southern Cross Station and free trams are just out the door, while restaurants, bars, cafes, museums, galleries, Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and Southbank are a walk away – so you can’t help but rule in a mini-break here. Tip: you’re at one end of Flinders Lane (on the corner of Spencer Street) and you must walk the length of the lane during your visit, being sure to explore the famed laneways, cafes and bars enroute.

The verdict

This hotel’s fun, quirk and wow factor are supported by quality and a top location. A great choice for both first-timers to the city and for Melbourne tragics.

The essentials

575 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Phone: [phone]. From $224 for a standard room. Corner suites from $404. Disabled access and rooms available. See hotelindigo.com/melflinders

Rating out of five

★★★★½

Highlight

Watching Melbourne lit by street lights and lightning strikes from box-seat full-length windows during a crashing storm.

Lowlight

The new gym is not operating during my visit, but guests are offered the use of one nearby. There is no pool.

The writer stayed as a guest of Hotel Indigo Melbourne on Flinders.