Originally Posted by margarita girl (Post 31011746)

Just completed a 2 night stay at this hotel. Used SNAs and was upgraded to Corner King Suite at 5 days out. FD Mgr was super nice at check-in and offered us 2 glasses of sparkling wine. My girlfriend wanted a picture of us so FD Mgr suggested standing in front of Bill's picture. I declined and chose to stand in front of the ice bucket with the bottle of wine instead. ;)

After we arrived in the room, the hotel delivered a cheese tray and an open bottle of sparkling wine. Not sure if that was an error or if it was the bottle that we had glasses from at the front desk. Either way, it seemed strange to not bring up a full bottle. The suite was meh, but it was a decent size even though the bathroom was rather small..

We were offered the 1000 point welcome amenity plus buffet breakfast in the restaurant. The breakfast was excellent and they even had a large juicer available with a supply of carrots, celery and ginger. They had vegetarian dumplings (dim sum) on offer every day which were awesome. My girlfriend had a waffle and the chef offered up some passion fruit ice cream to go with it. Yummy!

The lounge seemed crowded with tables and chairs, but at one end there was a large sofa and some comfy chairs, which were far more welcoming. I thought the evening spread was excellent with two hot dishes (one of which is always vegetarian). They also offer salads, cold meats/fish, dolmades and crudités and dip. At 19:30, they take away the hot/cold food and bring out desserts. Beer, wine and alcohol were complimentary from 17:00- 21:00.

At check out, I paid with my Marriott gift cards, thereby avoiding the 2% credit card surcharge. ^

My usual go to hotel in MEL is the Westin (never stayed at the Sheraton) but we decided to try the Marriott due to 1) lower price 2) lounge 3) heavy construction in front of the Westin. Even though the Westin is far more elegant, I would not hesitate to go back to the Marriott. The staff was simply outstanding. Everyone made us feel welcome from the front desk to the bell desk, the lounge staff and the restaurant servers. Location right beside Chinatown is also excellent.

BTW, I collected email addresses for the Marriott, Sheraton and Westin, and have added them to the wiki in the respective property threads.

Originally Posted by kgkg (Post 31613443)

I will take my wife and kids to Melbourne in August next year. Is Marriott Melbourne the hotel we should choose compared to Westin and Sheraton? Our preference would be a hotel that is very convenient for sightseeing. A decent lounge breakfast would be a plus as well. Thanks.

Originally Posted by nequine (Post 31615353)

We've stayed at the Melbourne Marriott a couple of times and found it an absolute pleasure to stay in. The staff (especially the concierge guys) are very warm and welcoming and nothing is too much to ask.

The hotel is in a very good location. Very close to the State Library, Old Melbourne Gaol (worth doing!) and Carlton Gardens/Royal Exhibition Centre/Melbourne Museum. OH walked back from the MCG one night after a footy game and took him about 30 minutes. The tourist tram passes by at end of the road (La Trobe) too.

The hotel may not seem like its central but it actually is and Melbourne has a free tram zone for the CBD too, so its very easy to move around the city.

Originally Posted by rick253 (Post 31615325)

All three Marriott hotels in the Melbourne CBD are convenient for sightseeing.

As others have said there is construction going on in the front of Westin for a rail tunnel, so you may choose to avoid it for this reason.
However it is an elegant well run hotel. It does not have an Executive Lounge.

The Sheraton is often my choice as I like the location, and the feel that it is more of a boutique hotel.

The Marriott is an older hotel than the other two, but renovated. While all three hotels have good service, Marriott have impressed me at front desk and restaurant. It does have an Executive Lounge. So if your status gives you Executive Lounge this might be the right choice for you.

Originally Posted by kgkg (Post 31613443)

I will take my wife and kids to Melbourne in August next year. Is Marriott Melbourne the hotel we should choose compared to Westin and Sheraton? Our preference would be a hotel that is very convenient for sightseeing. A decent lounge breakfast would be a plus as well. Thanks.

Originally Posted by musicscrip (Post 32332177)

What hotel did you choose in the end for your family trip? How was the stay with kids? Were your kids allowed into the lounge without an additional fee?

We have 2 kids 4 and 6 so we are looking at a family oriented hotel (We are platinum too) but I can’t find any room on points at Marriott with 2 beds. I am only getting 1 king or 1 queen even paying cash or pt to upgrade online. We are looking at next spring.

Originally Posted by kgkg (Post 32332208)

Unfortunately, we do not even know whether we will be able to go yet.

Originally Posted by metalblaze (Post 32719438)

Were you able to make the trip? If yes, please share your experience - I am planning for a visit with my family (2 kids; 11 & 4) in 2021.

Originally Posted by GoSh4rks (Post 35088218)

March 2023 update, over a 4 night stay. No suite upgraded was available on check in after asking, but was offered for the latter 3 nights of my stay. The room move was executed flawlessly, packed everything up and left my bags in the room. Left for the day, and returned in the evening to pick up new keys for the new room with my bags already moved. "A" treatment all around, the only improvement would be to have the suite proactively offered without having to ask.

The rooms themselves are dated with newer style furniture. The pictures on the website are fairly accurate. The bed in my suite probably needs a replacement, it was quite lumpy, but I didn't notice any problem in the first room I had. The suite interestingly did not have a couch but instead had two loungers/chairs with ottomans. Single bathroom. It was fine.

M Club is the only option for breakfast, full buffet is a $15 upcharge. Eggs/omelets are available to order. The M Club was closed on one day for a public holiday, and users were redirected to the main buffet. The full buffet is absolutely not worth a $15 upcharge and only has a few additional items over the M Club. All the core breakfast items are the same.

Evening offerings were ok: two hot items, a pre-made salad, cheeses, fruits, and bread. You could make a meal out of it in a pinch and you weren't too focused on being healthy. Hours were 5-8pm. The club area is quite small, with overflow seating available in the main bar area.

Bottom line, for the price I paid (cheapest of the full service Marriott options), it was fine, and the location is quite decent.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ea9013429.jpeg

Originally Posted by wenzlydale (Post 35128669)

I assume that when the lounge was converted to a M club, the evening offering of free alcoholic drinks has been "enhanced" ?