The W Melbourne is a fairly tasteful hotel, without the extravagance of the old W hotels, which not many people will miss. However, it lacks personality to the extent that the brand’s DNA is only half-heartedly reflected, which is a pity.

Booking

I booked 3 months before my stay a cozy room at 185 euros per night and will be requesting SNAs (free upgrade for which I have a certain number of “tickets” per year by virtue of my status) in room fabulous and suite fantastic which will both be refused, the hotel being full.

Ironically, I’ll be upgraded to Fabulous at check-in.

Location of the hotel

Compared to the Ritz Carlton Melbourne where I stayed the previous few days, it’s located further south in the city, a little on the opposite side.

Just as convenient for visiting the city, perhaps even a little better located as most of the sites are more to the south.

Arrival at the hotel and check-in

I’ll arrive at the hotel by Uber from the Ritz Carlton mid-afternoon. It occupies a large tower without much personality.

I enter the lobby, which turns out to be quite small by the chain’s standards, and check in. The staff will be friendly, but nothing more or less than you’d expect from this type of hotel.

Much to my surprise, I’m given an upgrade to a Fabulous room. Don’t expect a miracle: it’s 2m2 larger than the Cozy I’d booked.

I’m also informed that I’ve been invited to a cocktail party given by the general manager for Platinum and Titanium members. A much appreciated experience that I had already enjoyed at the Andaman and the Ritz Carlton Langkawi, and which would benefit from being a little more common in hotels in this range.

The room

So I went to my room, and there was my first disappointment: it was located on a low floor (5/15), and if the inventory was indeed empty (apart from the WOW suite, which is not usually given as an upgrade), I doubt that there were so many Titanium members in the hotel that it was impossible to find me a room on a high floor.

Access is via a long, dreary corridor.

The room is entered through a small vestibule.

On the right is the bathroom with a single washbasin.

I don’t think the hotel is that old, but the sink is already showing signs of definite wear.

Next door, in a separate area, is the bathtub and shower.

Speaking of bath products, I regret replacing the Bliss products I loved with Momo, which I’m less fond of.

Next door is a separate toilet.

The bathroom is not totally open onto the bedroom, which is also becoming a rarity with W (and others), and which I would have expected to artificially increase the impression of space in a standard-sized room.

Let’s move on to the bedroom.

It’s a good size, but dark, and turning on all the lights won’t make much difference. As always with W, the bedding will be of excellent quality, and you’ll feel like you’re sleeping in a cloud.

No real desk, which is a pity, but a small lounge area, not unpleasant but not very practical or comfortable when you need to spend an hour on your computer.

As is the rule at W, there’s a big, beautiful minibar.

And at W, it’s always well-stocked.

It took me a good hour to find the closet: as I suspected, it’s in the cabinet separating the bedroom from the bathroom, but how it opens will remain a mystery to me for some time.

A welcome note awaits me on the table, along with two vouchers for drinks at the bar.

All in all, a rather sober room, but dark and ultimately a little sad.

We end with the usual video tour.

The hotel facilities

The hotel has a gym, swimming pool and spa, but does not offer treatments. All facilities are accessible 24 hours a day, just like at the Ritz Carlton.

The gym

Located on the first floor, it is large, well-equipped and bright. Very good!

The Pool

It is located on the same floor as the gym, right next door.

The place is very pretty and it has a bar…well, when it’s open.

Large and long, it will delight those who really want to swim.

Deckchairs line the length of the pool, and there are also large, comfortable sofas and secluded seating areas.

On a positive note: from 6.00 pm to 6.00 am, the pool becomes an “adult only” area reserved for those over 16.

Which isn’t a bad thing, because during the day I was frequently bothered by noisy, rude Asian customers who had absolutely no control over their children’s behavior.

At night, it’s quiet (apart from the omnipresent music) and a great place to take a dip before going to bed.

And obviously I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed a late-night swim.

The pool also features a small outdoor terrace.

The spa

In fact, there’s no spa as such, but a hammam situated next to the pool, with showers.

Bars and restaurants

When I arrived at the hotel, I was given a sheet listing the different bars and restaurants in the hotel and their opening times, and it wasn’t superfluous as it’s so complicated.

No bars are open all day, restaurants close at 9pm (this is Australia) and the “real” bar, if it opens at 3pm, closes before midnight except at weekends.
The pool bar is not open every day.

Go figure…

Lollo Restaurant

I won’t be eating there, but I’ll be there for the GM’s cocktail party. A large, noisy room, not the place for an cosy dinner.

Bar Curious (aperitif and after-dinner drinks)

This is the property’s “signature” bar, the one you’d expect to see in a W. Located in the basement, it’s blind and, unsurprisingly, has the ambience of an electro club bar.

A place where you can see yourself spending the evening, but not having a drink at 3pm, so the opening hours are incongruous, to say the least. Reservations are recommended, especially if you want a table.

I’ll mainly have wine as an aperitif, accompanied by a platter of excellent cheese and charcuterie.

At the end of the evening, I’ll have a well-made Negroni.

The staff are very friendly, but the atmosphere is noisy and the place is dark at all hours. You’ve got to like this.

Service

Good but not impressive, except for the bar.

Check-out

I check out on the mobile app and leave the hotel without going through the reception again.

Bottom line

The W brand is searching for its identity. Gone are the days of exuberance, and back we go to something more conventional, while at the same time trying to retain a strong personality. And this is perhaps where the problem lies: between two extremes, the balance is hard to find, especially with a clientele that, even if it’s tired of the old codes, still wants something that’s a little out of the ordinary and still modern and hip.

Without falling into the same extremes as the very ordinary W Chicago Lakeshore, which was totally off the mark, the W Melbourne is trying to find its way a little. Not bad, not ugly, with nice facilities but a bit sad and dull. A hotel for which there’s nothing to reproach, but which doesn’t leave a lasting impression either.

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