Hotel review: The Sebel Melbourne Docklands

The only trouble is trying to figure out where to stay.
If you’re looking for a luxurious self-contained apartment which is close to the action but doesn’t break the bank, I highly recommend staying at the chic Sebel Melbourne Docklands.
Sitting along the New Quay waterfront, this brand new gem of a hotel is complete with an awesome swimming pool, hot tub and sauna.

Hot Tip: I recommend the executive workout: sauna, hot tub, pool, repeat.

My girlfriend and I arrive, famished, just before 11AM on Saturday. The concierge recommends an Italian restaurant next door and dutifully watches over our bags so we can hop over for a bite to eat and a bottle of bubbles (what? It’s almost noon). We sit and watch the boats go by until our bellies are sufficiently stuffed with pasta and cheese before heading back to see our new digs.

A lovely man named Andrew greets us at the front desk and takes us for a tour of the property before seeing us to our room. This complex houses a rooftop garden, gym, guest lounge, cinema (I totally jumped into the middle of the bean bags), private dining rooms, meeting rooms and tennis court. Oh, and my favourite part? The elevators are purple and super sparkly.
I have to suppress a WHOOP! after opening the door to our pimped out pad which has everything we need to party like rock stars. This is a review for work after all. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it!

The superior one-bedroom apartment overlooks the harbour and is adorned with modern yet comfortable pieces. The bathroom is spacious enough for two girls to get ready (very important) while the refrigerator is big enough to hold multiple bottles of wine, and er, food and stuff.
Since the hotel is centrally located, it’s easy to get around. If you’re averse to using public transport, the Sebel has a parking garage conveniently located – they park you on your room’s floor and give you a key card to access from the garage. It doesn’t get much easier.

So aside from all those must-knows, these are the five reasons we had a fantastic weekend in Melbourne:

1. We stayed at a super cool hotel

2. We hit great weather (it was warmer in Melbourne than Sydney! What world is this?)

3. I scored amazing homemade soap at the Camberwell Sunday Market

4. Shopping in St. Kilda offered some unique treasures

5. I was in the best of company

What makes a fantastic weekend away in Melbourne? Tell us in the comments!