Overview
Melbourne's hotel scene just keeps booming, with an impressive new Marriott Hotel outpost set to launch in the heart of Docklands. And this one comes complete with a whole swag of onsite hospitality venues, including a swanky rooftop bar and heated infinity pool.
Slated to open late June, the Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands will be the suburb's only five-star hotel, boasting 189 luxury rooms kitted out with features like 'retail-inspired wardrobes' and 55-inch LCD TVs. Then, there's the hefty collection of food and drink offerings, including one next to the hotel's crowning glory — the stunning infinity pool, complemented by sweeping views to the west overlooking Port Phillip Bay and the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel.
Escape up here for a taste of the high life and you'll be swimming in a 28-metre wet-edge pool — or lounging on a day bed enjoying cocktails and high-end panoramas. You don't even need to be a hotel guest to take advantage, with day passes available for $68 (or $168 for a family of two adults and two children), which gets you four-hour entry to the rooftop pool and whirlpool, plus use of both the sauna and the hotel's high-tech gym.
Adjacent rooftop bar Sunset House is set to be a buzzy sky-high destination where punters can kick back on lounges nibbling finger sandwiches — and quaff signature cocktails and a range of Everleigh's bottled spritzes. After dark, the menu will expamd to include chic shared plates like katsu sandos, duck jaffles, Moreton Bay bug rolls, and tuna sashimi teamed with a green chilli sambal and sesame tofu. Expect a program of nighttime DJ sets to match.
Meanwhile, elegant all-day restaurant Archer's is being headed up by Executive Chef David Albert, and will champion local ingredients and producers through an offering of bold, technique-driven plates. You'll sit down to the likes of lamb tartare; Mount Martha mussels smoked over paper bark; and a dish of Great Ocean Road duck jamon with rhubarb compote, davidson plum and walnut mole. The fare's complemented by a considered drinks program from sommelier Hamish Small, including champagne aplenty.
Explore further and you'll find casual all-day haunt Corsia, which trips from St Ali coffee and breakfast fare to Euro-leaning lunch dishes, and then onto after-work wines and Italian-style desserts. Cocktail lounge Ada's is the final piece of the puzzle, taking both its name and inspiration from the pioneering female mixologist that created the Savoy Hotel's famed Hanky Panky cocktail in the 1930s. The sophisticated space will be slinging chic bar snacks, revamped classic cocktails and an impressive range of non-alcoholic creations.
The Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands will open at 15 Waterfront Way, Docklands, from late June. For more details, or to book a stay or pool access, check out the website.
Images: Dianna Snape