Monday 7 October 2013

The Stunning Pullman Melbourne Albert Park

Pullman Melbourne Albert Park
Last night I was privileged to stay at the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park. This former Sebel Hotel has recently had a multimillion dollar renovation which has totally transformed its appearance.

The Pullman is ideally located on Queens Road overlooking picturesque Lake Albert and Port Phillip Bay. It is a short distance from the Melbourne CBD and the bayside suburb of cosmopolitan St Kilda.

Upon walking in the front doors of the Pullman the first thing I noticed was the welcoming bright & light contemporary lobby. The spiral staircase, feature lighting, and stylish seating all add to the wow factor of the lobby. The dominant feature is the central atrium which soars upwards in the middle of the hotel to the ninth floor.

Pullman Atrium
I traveled to the Pullman by tram and walked from the nearby-by tram stop in St Kilda Road to the front entrance. I was warmly greeted by the staff at the reception desk and offered a welcome drink at the Atrium Bar + Lounge, which serves drinks from 4pm till late. On the ground floor there is also an Expresso Bar serving traditional cafe style lunches, expresso coffee, specialty teas, bakery items, fresh salads and sweet treats open during the week from 7am until 3pm. The Windows Restaurant is open for daily gourmet buffet breakfasts and evening a-la-carte dinners. There is also a Business Lounge (Connectivity Centre) with computers and printers available for use.

Pullman Guest Room
The Pullman Melbourne Albert Park has 169 guest rooms and suites. I was fortunate to stay in a large refurbished guest room on the eighth floor with wonderful views over Lake Albert. It looked peaceful and serene, apart from a few energetic joggers going for their daily run. The view would be rather different during the week the Formula 1 Grand Prix racing cars roar around the lake.

My guest room had all the usual offerings of a five-star hotel plus more. The colour scheme, lighting fixtures, art works and furnishings all worked well together to create the amazing modern look of the room.

Pullman Guest Room
The glass-topped work desk had a convenient multimedia connectivity panel. However I worked on my laptop using the wifi internet that was available in the room. I channel surfed the free-to-air and satellite channels on the large 40 inch LCD flatscreen TV. An i-docking station was available to use. This was about the only feature in the room that I did not use, as I am one of the very few people today without an i-product.

A wonderful nights sleep was had on the innovative Pullman featherbed, far better than my rather aged bed at home. I made several cups of tea and coffee in the room using the quality teas and coffees provided. The bathroom was bright and white, with an amazing walk-in rain forest shower and a wonderful range of Roger & Gallet amenities provided.

Pullman Executive Lounge
I was fortunate to have access to the warm and inviting Pullman Executive Lounge on the ninth floor. This has recently been restyled with new carpets, plush sofas, LED flatscreen TVs and offers an ideal series of spaces for business or relaxation. There are new marble refreshment stations that provide a complimentary range of food and drinks. On the two occasions I visited the Executive lounge I was warmly welcomed by the staff person who made the visit relaxing and memorable.


Pullman Pool
I availed myself of the leisure facilities on the first floor. There is a heated indoor pool, sauna and gym. I imagine that these would be especially popular in Melbourne's cool winters.

For breakfast I went down to the Windows Restaurant where I enjoyed a scrumptious buffet of cereals, hot and cold dishes, breads and pastries. My only mistake is that I should have allowed more time to experience all that was on offer. Tea and coffee were brought to my table, and my used plates whisked away by the attentive staff.


Pullman Grand Ballrom
What sets the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park apart from other hotels is its Conference & Event Centre. This is one of Melbourne's largest and most comprehensive venues, and can cater for groups of 10 to 1,600 people. It does not have just one meeting venue, but 28 to chose from, ranging from small meeting rooms to the Grand Ballroom. These have been recently refurbished along with the rest of the hotel. I had a glimpse of the Grand Ballroom and saw its new carpets, curtains, movable walls and LED colour control lighting and pin-spotting technology installations. A comprehensive range sophisticated audio-visual equipment and multi-media equipment is available for use, with the support of their IT Solutions Manager.

Pullman Melbourne Albert Park
A variety of conference menu packages is available for breakfasts, morning and afternoon tea breaks, lunches, dinners and conference beverages & cocktails. At this time of the year many bookings are being accepted for the range of Christmas packages they offer, ranging from a Christmas Bubbles Cocktail Party to a Christmas Feast. They have a dedicated Conference Concierge to help people organize their business or social function. 600 on-site car parks are available. New conference offerings include access to life-sized board games, guided walking or running around Lake Albert, and healthy menu add ons.These all add up to to make the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park Conference & Event Centre a luxurious and functional experience for business executives.
 
Pullman Executive Lounge
To sum up my stay at the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park all I can say is that it far surpassed my expectations and my one night stay was too short to fully appreciate all it has to offer. It is a stylish modern five-star hotel that offers the best in guest rooms, leisure facilities and dining options. All the staff were brilliant in their professional and friendly service. The standout was the Concierge who was extremely helpful in his advice on tourist attractions in Melbourne.

The Pullman Melbourne Albert Park is the ideal upscale hotel for business and leisure in Melbourne.

Pullman Atrium Bar + Lounge
Website: click here - Pullman Melbourne Albert Park
Address: 65 Queens Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004

Bookings

Telephone: (03) 9529 4300,  (+61)3/95294300
Fax: (03) 95213111, (+61)3/95213111
Email: H8788@accor.com

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