Melbourne Hotel Review: The Blackman
There are certain places that belong in my favourites list. Of course, international hot spots like Berlin and Paris get my heart racing, but it’s somewhere closer to home that I’m forever searching the flight sales for: Melbourne.
I fall more in love every visit. From coffee to culture, and shopping to nightlife, I just can’t get enough. And when you’re staying somewhere as special as The Blackman, who could blame me?!
The Blackman street view
From the beautifully decorated lobby to the attention to detail in our 17th floor suite, there’s plenty of things to love about The Blackman:
1. The art of Charles Blackman
The Blackman Hotel is named after Australian artist Charles Blackman, whose work famously includes the Schoolgirl and Alice in Wonderland series of the 1950s. His pieces are displayed tastefully throughout the hotel; in the lobby, in the elevator, and in each of the 209 suites.
This is something all of the Art Series Hotels share: they’re all themed around the work of Australian artists. The Blackman features pieces by Charles Blackman, whereas The Cullen focuses on Adam Cullen, The Olsen on Dr John Olsen, and The Schaller Studio on Mark Schaller.
The walls of our room are decked out with stunning Blackman art, even making an appearance on the bathroom door. Blackman’s work adds a funky, personalised feel to our stay – and some of the pieces are even for sale if you want to take home more than just photos.
Blackman’s artwork at reception
Our room
2. The beautifully decorated room
The room itself is incredibly spacious and fitted out with minimal yet stylish furniture, while the bed – THE BED – is like sleeping on a cloud. Without exaggerating, I spend a lot of the stay alternating between soaking in the bath with a glass of wine in my hand and lying on the bed. Nicole can vouch for me here! In fact, the bed is SO good that many of the staff have actually purchased their own to sleep in at home. And like the art, the beds are also for sale. How many hotels let you take home the furniture?
I try to convince Mr LML that we need a new bed, but sadly my efforts are unsuccessful. Definitely an excuse to visit again…
Our spacious room
The view from our room
3. The personable and helpful staff
From the time we arrive to the time we leave, we are impressed by the staff. It’s the small things like the welcome message in our room when we check in, the complimentary bottle of wine and note from the General Manager, and helping us into a taxi when we depart that make our stay just that little bit extra special.
The Blackman welcome message
4. The on-site facilities
Like its sister properties, The Blackman offers bikes and scooters for hire during your stay, which, even if you don’t use them, is still pretty cool, right?
The Blackman also has two eateries: Classico and Fleur Depot de Pain. Classico is an Italian antipasto bar and restaurant, and its interior was designed by architects Foong + Sormann to ooze elegant, minimalist style. I can vouch for their excellent cocktails – my Negroni and Mr LML’s Espresso Martini are both delicious.
Classico
Fleur Depot de Pain, aka ‘Bread Depot’, is a contemporary nod to a classic French patisserie. Throughout our stay, it’s packed with both guests of The Blackman and locals of the area, which speaks wonders for the quality of the venue. I hear their pastries are pretty special.
Fleur Depot de Pain
5. The central location
A stay in Melbourne isn’t complete without checking out a bit of everything: the CBD, St Kilda, Fitzroy and Brunswick (plus heading further afield), so having a central base is a must. The Blackman is on St Kilda Road, halfway between St Kilda and the CBD, and within walking distance of both if you’ve got the right shoes. Otherwise, it’s just a few stops on the tram to go either direction.
We decide to walk to the CBD, through beautiful parks full of auburn coloured trees with grand plans of checking out H&M and all that Melbourne has to offer (which, if you’re going by the soreness of my feet at the end of the day, is a lot! Fortunately I have The Blackman’s bath and bed to return to… ).
Maple tree
Autumn park
By night, we are lucky enough to attend the grand opening of WICKED at the stunning Regent Theatre. Believe me, it’s an event! With champagne in (each) hand, we celeb-spot by the stairs, as you do. We manage to find Carrie Bickmore, Josh Thomas, and Rachel Griffiths, who sits behind me with her family during the show.
The Regent Theatre turns WICKED
WICKED Regent Theatre
The show itself is fantastic! I am blown away by the talent of both Lucy Durack (Glinda the Good) and Jemma Rix (Elphaba), who tell the tale of two unlikely friends and how they became the witches of OZ. If you’re unfamiliar with the story of WICKED, it’s the precursor to The Wizard of OZ; it’s funny, it’s sad, and it’s utterly compelling. I definitely recommend seeing it, whether in Melbourne or when it comes to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in September.
While my visit is short, I definitely manage to squeeze it all in: a stay at a lush hotel, great food and coffee, a dose of shopping and a touch of magical theatre. A perfect long weekend.
What’s your favourite destination for a long weekend? Tell us in the comments below.
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