The Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne, located on Queen St in the hear of the CBD, lay at the end of a two-day road trip to Melbourne from the Gold Coast. Two days of near non-stop driving had left me in dire need of some quiet time and comfortable bed. Adina apparently knew what I wanted before I even arrived. If you were to ask me to describe my ideal city apartment, a complete and total fantasy of what inner city living would be like, it would sound very much like this room.
A bit frazzled after an hour of city driving immediately after spending two days driving through the calm and quiet of country New South Wales and Victoria, the Adina staff were extremely helpful and patiently explained how to get my car into the secure parking garage behind the building and up to my room from there.Opening the door to my apartment, I was greeted with a rather welcome sight. The very first thing you encounter is a reminder that you are not staying in a hotel room but an apartment — a fully functional kitchenette replete with full size fridge, stove, oven. After two days of fast food that could be consumed on the road, I finally had the tools to make and eat something substantial. I could have cried. The cupboards contain pots and pans for cooking. The drawers contain all the cutlery and cooking accouterments you could need.
Beyond the kitchenette, you move into a long and open lounge area with a view that looks west over the city from the 19th floor. I can confirm that arriving at about 4:30pm on a reasonably sunny afternoon, the room is lit with warm, orange hues that immediately make you feel comfortable and at home.
The wall that faces the lounge area leads to to a similarly long bedroom and study, and the attached en suite bathroom. The king size bed in the centre of the room was extremely comfortable and more than made up for the appalling sleep I’d had in Dubbo the night before (at an entirely unrelated location that shall not be named). While I would have liked to have the nearby desk face the room’s single, large, floor-to-ceiling window for a bit of a view while getting my work done, this is my only criticism in an otherwise exemplary room.
In keeping with the theme of spaciousness, the bathroom is large, the shower huge and the wide cupboards all brimming with everything you might need from towels to ironing boards. The bathroom was so well lit, both from above and the lights that adorned the large mirror in its centre, that it felt like I should start a vlog just to take advantage of it. The shower was also just the right kind of powerful that makes you want to stand in there all day and never leave. Perfect for relaxing the muscles after days of sitting in the driver’s seat.
Downstairs is Queen Street Rescue, which functions as the hotel’s restaurant. Because I am a filthy millennial, I had the smashed avocado and it was delicious. Exactly what I needed for my first substantial meal back in Melbourne. I also had a simple soy flat white coffee with breakfast and found it to be perfection. Thanks to QSR for a lovely meal and great service.
On more than one occasion during my one night stay, I found myself thinking about how this apartment was all I would really need in my life as a freelance writer. I have a comfortable bed. I have a living area and a kitchen. I have a work space, and a pretty incredible view. I’m in the middle of the city making it a short walk or tram ride to anywhere I might want to go. It’s bigger than any actual apartment you’d find in the city and it comes with a spectacular view. This is the sort of hotel where the elevator ride down to reception to check out in the morning is a reluctant one. I look forward to going back and pretending to be an inner-city dweller for another night as soon as possible.
Rates at the Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne start at approximately $143 AUD per night.
ADINA APARTMENT HOTEL MELBOURNE
Address: 198 Queen St, Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Contact: (03) 9934 0000
Website: https://www.tfehotels.com/brands/adina-apartment-hotels/adina-apartment-hotel-melbourne
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