Melbourne Marriott Hotel
 

Does anyone have a review of this property? Should I go with Marriott, Starwood or Hyatt in Melbourne?

thanks,
FqtFlyer

It used to be called "Rockman's Regency" - an independent hotel not related to Hyatt.

I haven't stayed at this property before it was even MC. But I hear that it's rated as a 5 star luxurious property.

In MEL , I would recommend the following in pecking order:

1. Park Hyatt
2. Grand Hyatt
3. Crown Casino hotel
4.Sheraton Towers Southbank
5. Westin
6. The Como (independent - but lovely hotel in South Yarra)

For ultra cheap... but literally across the driveway from the Sheraton Towers Southbank is the Travelodge (same name but different calibre from the US ones)... for about 1/3 of the rates of Sheraton. Very nice hotel.. basic but functional.. and sorry, no points. But think of the savings!

I have stayed there. Somewhat recently as well. It's decent. Nice CBD location - not really in the midst of the action though. The rooms tend to be a bit worn. As though they have not done anything since it was rockman's. I believe all rooms are the same (do not try for the upgrade). I'd say on the us scale an ok 4*. The six suggestions are much more luxurios imho.

Ditto to previous poster...clean but a little worn...fairly decent location though

I just got back from a stay at the Marriott in MEL. The rooms are small and the bathrooms are too. Even as a plat was not upgraded to a better room. The plat welcome gift was a mini can of Pringles !?!? If you have stayed at the Marriott in Sydney or BNE- this hotel will be a big let down.

Other strange thing- the only rooms in the entire hotel with a king bed are their "king suites" that are NOT available for upgrade. I had an discussion with the manager about a king bed being in my profile and them not giving me a king room (even if it is a suite)- I was told they did not have to honor the room type in my profile.

There are much better places to stay in MEL.

Maybe this is luck of the draw, but I had a completely different experience when staying Dec. 28-30 and Jan. 1-2. GF and I stayed on points and were automatically upgraded to a king suite. Our plat gift was a generous plate of fruit, cheeses and crackers. Better than most plat gifts. I was told Bill Marriott stayed in my suite when he visited the property. Multiple rooms, huge closet, robes, the whole deal. Terrific service all the way around. Concierge was wonderful. Everyone was attentive. When I asked where to buy some plastic knives and forks for a picnic lunch we were planning, the concierge rushed off to the restaurant and came back with full place settings and cloth napkins. Breakfast was comped for Plats and was very, very good. Eggs Benedict, too. They even comp self parking for plats!! This is something I'd never experienced before. In all, it was among my most satisfying Marriott stays, and I fully recommend the property.

I'm here now and it's not bad. The bathroom is a bit too small but the rest of the room is fine. The heater seems to be broken, as I can't get the temp to go up, but oh well. As my gift I got a full bottle of Willowglen Shiraz Cabernet '04 and a jar of mixed nuts. The concierge is good, I asked him about getting me a fishing trip and he called all around to try to find me one. It's on the outskirts of the CBD but I had no problems walking around today.

It's definitely no Harbourside Marriott in Sydney but it's better than a Courtyard :D

Had the opportunity to stay in MEL Marriott in June 2004. Asked for a high room and was given something in the 3rd floor. Well, in a 10 storey room, i think, there should be something higher up there.

Went to use the jacuzzi as well. It was great, probably cos nobody else was using it =P. The Health Club/Fitness Centre looks clean and very well maintained.

The room was big, esp, if you compare it to SIN Marriott. Rate was AU$195, i think. And I got some 490 Kris Flyer Miles for it.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but given I recently stayed at the MEL Marriott, figured I'd post some feedback if anyone happens to do a search, because I had a better stay (as a lowly Silver) than some of the earlier posts, which suggests the hotel has made some changes.

- I requested a high floor king, and was given a king bed room on the 8th floor. This suggests there are king rooms that exist at the hotel.

- I found the room to be fairly large, complete with a sofa and large work desk. Non traditional layout, with the bed facing the window, but looking at the fire map, it seems like my room was the same size as the others.

- Complimentary beverages in the lobby: orange juice and coffee in the morning, and sparkling wine in the afternoon.

- Pool and health club are small, unlike the really good fitness facilities at the Sydney Harbour Marriott. The pool runs right next to the hot tub, so it is a bit cramped.

- Fairly central location - i.e. within easy walking distance to both Lygon Street, Carlton Gardens, and the CBD - if you don't mind walking a couple blocks, it works well.

- Friendly staff. Normally I wouldn't note this, but I've had a mixed bag of service experiences at the Sydney Harbour hotels, and the service was consistently good in MEL.

I haven't stayed anywhere else in MEL, but with the current Bonus Bucks promotion, it's a fairly good deal for a weekend stay. Hope this helps someone.