By Rama Gaind.
Views of Melbourne city from Collins Street. Photo: Rama Gaind
COVID-19 has changed the world as we knew it more than 15 months ago. Just as we were starting to feel re-energised, our complacency gets shattered. Lockdown and restrictions are introduced. Radical changes come at times of upheaval.
Travel plans get cancelled or postponed. Every day brings news of limitations and we listen to the latest developments in case we missed something important since the last refresh.
This pandemic is also affecting the ever-evolving hospitality and property markets, some with new ownerships. One such hotel – which has had two new owners since my last visit – has been the Tune Hotel Melbourne. It became Accor Ibis Melbourne Swanston Street Hotel, and today it’s called Essence Hotel Carlton, but the address is still the same: 609 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria.
If you are a frequent traveller, then it’s vital that you stay at hotels where the safety and comfort you find at home are also easily attainable in the temporary abode. There is a vast array of choices on offer throughout Australia – from budget to upmarket, and some in-between – that are sure to meet required needs.
Hustle-and-bustle at Flinders Street Station, Melbourne. Photo: Rama Gaind
The management of Essence says the flexibility of stay available meets the “contemporary needs of urban travellers and workers”. The changing market requirements are being met by the hotel’s “option for longer-term accommodation community living”.
The benefits of staying at this hotel nicely fit the bill for affordability. All you have to do is unwind, rejuvenate and pick-up on the special package offers with this one city escape. The rates are competitive and comfort is the name-game for the budget-conscious. Conveniently located on the fringe of Melbourne CBD, this cosy, modern accommodation is positioned in the heart of the education precinct; in-between Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the University of Melbourne.
Central location
If you seek to indulge in some retail therapy, then head on down to Collins Street for its designer stores in heritage buildings, five-star hotels, private clubs and exclusive jewellers. It boasts its very own ‘Paris End’ and is often referred to as ‘the top end of town’. Head in this direction and you get to shop at the flagship stores of Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier, Ermenegildo Zegna, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari, Hermes, Dior, Tiffany & Co and Hugo Boss.
Essence Hotel Carlton in Swanston Street, Melbourne.
For more relaxed shopping, stroll west to bustling retail centres like Australia on Collins. For something out of the mainstream, go to Little Collins and Howey Place for haute couture and hip culture and clothes by Melbourne’s most interesting designers. If you are looking for menswear bargains, then head to the stretch between Swanston and Russell Streets.
Feel like more shopping? Then take a stroll to the Queen Victoria Market or the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre where you will find a variety of souvenirs, fashion trends and goodies to choose from.
If you prefer something a bit more adventurous and energetic, visit the South Wharf to get a unique insight into Melbourne’s rich maritime history along with world-class shopping and dining. Walk along the promenade to see why some of Melbourne’s best-loved restaurateurs and publicans call it ‘our heritage cargo sheds home’.
Take a walk to the Melbourne Museum, the Royal Exhibition Building and the famous Lygon Street Italian precinct. An ideal base to explore Melbourne, the hotel gives easy access to many nearby eateries.
Intersections of Flinders and Swanston Streets, Melbourne. Photo: Rama Gaind
Essence is centrally located: the free tram zone is a five-minute walk from the hotel, which gives you ‘fare-free’ access to places such as Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, Docklands, Etihad Stadium and Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Hop onto the Inner Circle (#35) tram for a leisurely ride. Furthermore, it’s two tram stops away from the Central Business District.
The Melbourne Central Train Station and QV Melbourne are 0.8km away; Crown Entertainment Complex is 2.9km; 5.1km away from Albert Park; ‘Little Italy’ or Lygon Street is 0.2km away; and 21km from the Melbourne International Airport (Tullamarine).
It’s also close to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne as well as The Royal Women’s Hospital (Melbourne).
Even better, the great outdoors beckon as you head down to Melbourne’s Yarra River!
If George Bernard Shaw is to be believed, then “The great advantage of a hotel is that it is a refuge from home life”. However, that may not always be the case as how that sanctuary is perceived is up to individual interpretation.
DETAILS BOX
Essence Hotel Carlton
609 Swanston Street, Carlton Vic 3053
T: (03) 8346 5600
