If you like the finer things in life but you’re yet to cross paths with the MGallery Collection, allow me to introduce you.
Here’s how my fleeting trip to the five-star Como Melbourne, located in the heart of South Yarra, went down.
I know, I know, 10am is usually check-out time but since we spent the previous night at another Melbourne hotel, we arrive at The Como early to drop our bags and to our delight, our room is ready!
We’re kindly guided to our room a few floors up and are greeted with a spacious suite. It’s warm and homely (in a sophisticated way) with luxury bedding a nice lounge area and plenty of natural light.
I know I’m not the only girl who gives quite a few points to a quality hotel bathroom and our black marble ensuite at The Como delivers. From the Peter Morrissey toiletries, to the luxe grey robes (no standard, starchy white ones to be seen here) to an impressive bath (that has my name written all over it), this bathroom is the goods.
We drag ourselves away from the tempting pool area and head out onto Chapel Street – we’ve got some shopping to do!
10.30am – Did someone say Cronut™?
It takes a something special to grab my attention away from the promise of retail therapy and a renowned bakery is one of those things. Tivoli Road Bakery, a few minutes walk from the hotel, is well worth a visit (at the time of our trip it was part of the MoVida Group but in August 2013, Head Baker Michael James and his wife Pippa purchased the bakery).
Having heard of the Cronut™ – part crossaint, part donut – craze sweeping the world (including a black market for the originals in NYC from creator Dominique Ansel’s bakery in Soho) I knew we had to try the Melbourne version, known as a ‘Dossant’ (to get around the trademark).
The line stretches out the door and we’re lucky that a new batch comes out just as we reach the front of the queue. Buttery and sweet, one bite is enough for this dessert lover but I wasn’t going to risk FOMO by not giving it a try while in town!
11am – Hello Chapel Street!
Appropriately fuelled with sugar, MR LML and I get to work on browsing the impressive range of retail options. From high-end to bargain basement, the Chapel Street stretch has something for everyone. Even if you’re not in the mood to splash your cash, window shopping here is a must.
1.30pm – Lunch time
Chapel Street has a wide variety of dining options which make picking just one difficult but I’m pleased to say we hit the lunchtime jackpot with our pick of Jus Burgers.
Perched on stools in the warm winter sun, I opt for the Turkish lamb while Mr LML goes for the original beef. Sometimes the simple things are the best.
3pm – Culture hit
Shopped out, it’s time to head into the city and get a dose of culture at the National Gallery of Victoria and check out the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition.
Exclusive to Melbourne, Monet’s Garden is an impressive exhibition devoted to Claude Monet’s iconic garden at Giverny. Claude Monet was inspired by his direct experiences of nature, culminating in the ravishing depictions of his lily and flower gardens in his iconic property at Giverny, northern France, that became his lifelong obsession.
The Monet exhibition closes in September but even if you’re not usually an art-lover, I’d recommend spending some time checking out whatever exhibition is on here on your next trip to Melbourne.
5.30pm – Din dins at Chin Chin
Nana o’clock! As previously noted, the easiest way to ensure dining success in the Melbs no-booking dining culture is to get in early.
Following lastminute lovely Kirsty’s Chin Chin recommendation, we kick off with a cocktail at GoGo bar downstairs. Before long the text message ping alerts us to our table being ready and we hit head upstairs to inspect the menu.
It would be difficult to order badly here but if you’re a little hungrier than we were and can’t decide, opt for the ‘Feed me’ option and let the team serve up a selection of dishes from $66 per person.
10pm – Relaxation time
The added benefit to an early dinner? Time to enjoy your hotel! (How often do you stay somewhere fabulous only to hardly spend any time there at all!) My date with the bath is official before some well deserved zzzz’s.
9am – Rise and shine
With an 11am check-out, we’ve got time for a little sleep-in and a leisurely breakfast. (Why don’t more hotels have an 11am check-out? That extra hour on the standard 10am makes such a difference!)
We have the best of both worlds, selecting a dish from the a la carte menu as well as having the variety of the buffet to pick and choose from.
We could easily while away the hours here but the sights and sounds of Melbourne are calling and I know we’ll be back again.