Hotel stays are becoming more and more frequent in my line of work. Besides my passion for Style Structure, I also work full time in social media where I’m travelling every six weeks to new destinations. I’ve always had a thirst for new places and countries, but when it comes to travelling for work it can be exhausting to say the least. I love my job and the experiences I am able to encounter, but downtime is also important to regain balance.
Last month, I was lucky to experience my first stay with McGallery by Sofitel in two of their Melbourne establishments; The Como Melbourne and Hotel Lindrum. This wasn’t an average stay at a city hotel. #MyMemorableMoment is Sofitel’s latest campaign which gives guests an experience of local culture, surroundings with a twist of heritage.
The first of my stays was at the Como Melbourne, which is located just off the vibrant shoppers paradise, Chapel Street. Decor was on point, with monochrome tones throughout. It was an early flight that morning so a little relaxation time was needed before meeting Melbourne stylist, Elaine Marshall for a memorable moment personal shopping experience. It’s definitely a great experience for a group of girlfriends and it’s an opportunity to maybe try styles of clothing that you may not have experimented with before. Myself and fellow creatives met over canapés and melodies in another suite at the hotel before heading out for an afternoon at the shops! (If you love spiral staircases, plush pillows and free standing bath tubs this room is for you). The day finished off with dinner at Mr Miyagi’s. The espresso martini and doughnuts are highly recommended. When returning to my room, I was surprised to find the bath full with bubbles and a T2 tea waiting for me. Aromatherapy bath time was just what I needed.
Day two it was onto Hotel Lindrum in the CBD. The design was very different to Como Melboune, with a lot of it’s old character and features remaining, including an open fireplace and old school cocktail bar (which later on in the stay taught us how to make our own espresso Martinis). Since visiting a design hotel in New York this year, I really admire exposed brick mixed with contemporary styling. 'Felt' is their in house restaurant and we were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves! We were treated to an intimate degustation meal. The lamb dish was to die for!
It was then onto our next #MyMemorableMoment which was nothing like I have experienced before! We were lucky to partake in a private Billiards lesson with world champion, Robby Foldvari. This brought back a lot of memories of my childhood, as my father was an avid snooker player. It was fascinating getting the gist of the game and watching trick shot after tick shot. So much skill involved in this game.
I had seen the Lindrum sign on Instagram before checking in, and really wanted to see it for myself so the staff kindly took me to the roof of a nearby carpark to grab some quick style shots with the iron cast structure in the background. After a busy day it was definitely time to grab some dinner at nearby Cecconi’s on Flinders Lane which was conveniently only walking distance. I had only been back from Italy 8 weeks and was already salivating at the thought of Amatriciana, antipasto, and sweet Italian treats. Thankfully all my cravings had been answered and was such a lovely way to finish my two nights away in Melbourne.
An early night was definitely on the cards and unfortunately missed breakfast as had to leave for Mexico the following morning. A good nights sleep is so important before a long haul flight, and the staff at Hotel Lindrum made it one of the comfiest yet.
It was amazing to make such lovely memories with fellow creatives and to experience a bit of culture and local experiences in Melbourne. Having only moved to Australia just over 2 and a half years ago, I am still yearning to see more of what each state has to offer, and will always remember this Melbourne trip as a special one.
Photography and edit my myself
