Voco Melbourne Central review � a vibrant hotel in the CBD

10 months ago 41

The Voco Melbourne Central is a 4 star boutique hotel sits in the heart of Melbourne and carries the modern facilities travellers expect. Name Voco Melbourne Central Location Nestled within a laneway just off Lonsdale Street, one of Melbourne�s...

The Voco Melbourne Central is a 4 star boutique hotel sits in the heart of Melbourne and carries the modern facilities travellers expect.

Name

Voco Melbourne Central

Location

Nestled within a laneway just off Lonsdale Street, one of Melbourne�s main thoroughfares, the hotel boasts 252 well-appointed rooms. Its central location makes it an ideal choice for both leisure and business travellers. You�ll find an array of transportation options, including tram, bus, and train stations, all within a convenient 5-minute stroll from the hotel. Additionally, the hotel is conveniently close to Melbourne�s renowned shopping hubs, restaurants, and attractions.

Voco hotel building exterior. Image courtesy of the Voco Melbourne Central.

For travellers arriving from Melbourne Airport (MEL), a ride share trip will typically take approximately 30 minutes without traffic and cost around A$55.

A more budget-friendly option is taking the Skybus to Southern Cross Station for AU$22 for a one-way ticket, followed by a 15-minute walk to the hotel. You can also catch a tram from Southern Cross Station for free since the route is within the Melbourne Free Tram Zone.

Please note that there are currently no train services to or from Melbourne Airport.

Booking the Voco Melbourne Central

I ended up booking their most basic room, the King Bed Standard for 3 nights for A$264.06 per night. This was an Advance Purchase rate during one of IHG�s sales promotion booked directly on their website.

Earning and spending points at the Voco Melbourne Central

The Voco Hotel brand belongs to the IHG Hotels & Resorts, which includes InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, and others.

My 3 night stay earned me a total of 8,417 IHG One Rewards points, which consisted of:

Base Points	4,584
Elite Bonus Points	1,833
Points Promotion	2,000
Total	8,417

One of the benefits of earning hotel points is the ability to redeem them for complimentary hotel nights. With IHG One Rewards, points redemption is subject to �dynamic pricing� � this means that the number of points required for a night will fluctuate based on demand.

Based on my research, the points needed for the King Bed Standard room ranges from 24,000 to 50,000 points per night.

Lobby and Check in at the Voco Melbourne Central

After taking the elevator to the sixth floor, you�ll find the chic but inviting lobby. There�s comfortable seating opposite the reception, perfect for guests awaiting check-in or simply passing time after checking out. For the eagle eyed, you�ll notice bird motifs (such as their owl logo) in the design of the lobby and the rest of the hotel.

Lobby entry. Image courtesy of the Voco Melbourne Central.

Check in was efficient and friendly. I was informed that I was upgraded to the King Bed Premium Corner Room, which is slightly larger than the King Bed Standard room I had booked and has a better view.

I appreciated that my IHG Gold Elite status was recognised and proactively offered a 2:00 pm late checkout.

Lobby. Image courtesy of the Voco Melbourne Central.

The Room

The King Bed Premium Corner Room comes in at 31 square meters and boasts floor to ceiling windows, which offers sweeping views of the Melbourne cityscape.

As you enter room 1108, you step into a narrow hallway with the bulk of the room located at the far right end. The decor consists of a blue and grey palette with wooden accents scattered throughout. The king sized bed is comfortable and takes up most of the room, the 42 inch TV sits directly opposite.

King bed at the Voco Melbourne Central.

TV in the King Bed Premium Corner Room at the Voco Melbourne Central.

I�m grateful for the heavy block out blinds in the room as they completely block out the shiny lights of the city.

Australian power points, USB ports, and light switches can be found on both sides of the bed.

USB and power points in the King Bed Premium Corner Room at the Voco Melbourne Central.

Bedside table.

Next to the bed, you had two chairs and a small table, which was large enough for a laptop but not the ideal setup if you needed to work for an extended time.

Sitting area in the King Bed Premium Corner Room at the Voco Melbourne Central.

Located to the right of the bed is the bar cabinet which houses the unstocked mini fridge (except 2 cartons of long life milk), capsule coffee machine, kettle, teabags, and glassware.

Glassware.

Tea, coffee machine, kettle in the King Bed Premium Corner Room at the Voco Melbourne Central.

Tea, coffee machine, and kettle in the King Bed Premium Corner Room at the Voco Melbourne Central.

Mini fridge Tea, coffee machine, kettle.

As we head back to the hallway, you�ll find a single wardrobe that houses the safe, iron, ironing board, and hairdryer.

Wardrobe with iron, ironing board, hairdryer, and safe.

The bathroom and toilet are separated with the latter located directly opposite the room door. Although there�s no bathtub, the bathroom is equipped with a rain shower which has solid water pressure and good temperature control.

Bathroom entrance.

Vanity.

Toilet.

Toiletries were from Antipodes, a vegan skincare brand from New Zealand, and were all Fig & Feijoa scented.

Antipodes toiletries � Fig & Feijoa scented.

Dining at the Voco Melbourne Central

The hotel has a single restaurant, the Blacksmith Bar & Grill, which serves modern Australian cuisine. It offers up a buffet for breakfast daily, while lunch and dinner service is only available from Tuesday to Saturday. Adjacent to the restaurant is the bar, which is open 7 days a week and carries a snack menu.

Blacksmith Bar & Grill. Image courtesy of the Voco Melbourne Central.

With so many incredible dining options available in Melbourne, I didn�t end up dining at the Blacksmith Bar & Grill.

Facilities at the Voco Melbourne Central

A highlight of the Voco Melbourne Central is the heated outdoor pool on the seventh floor, which has vistas of the Melbourne skyline. The pool is unfortunately not long enough for laps and is intended for soaking in.

Pool. Image courtesy of the Voco Melbourne Central.

Another unique feature of the hotel is the water station located on the same level as the lobby. Guests can refill their own bottles with either still or sparkling water, or take one of the pre-filled bottles in the fridges. The one slight downside to this amenity is that because the elevators in the hotel can take you directly to your room, bypassing the lobby, you have to consciously remember to grab the water.

Complimentary water.

On level six, you�ll find a very compact gym with a handful of modern machines as well as a weights rack and bench. Near the entrance, there�s a small counter with a water station and clean towels.

Gym. Image courtesy of the Voco Melbourne Central.

There�s no dedicated business centre but you can head to reception for printing services, copying services, and scanning.

Service at the Voco Melbourne Central

Overall, the service I encountered at the hotel was welcoming and pleasant. The staff at both check in and check out were professional and efficient.

There were a few minor details that could have been improved on. For instance, housekeeping forgot to restock the teabags in the room. Additionally, when I called reception to inform them of my departure so they could send housekeeping, I had to wait for approximately 5 minutes for the call to connect. The staff member I spoke with was apologetic, which was appreciated. However, upon my return to my room at around 2:00 pm, my room still hadn�t been cleaned.