Review: Park Hyatt Melbourne

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The Park Hyatt Melbourne is about a 30-40 minute drive from the airport and there’s no good public transportation options to get you here other than using a taxi or Uber.

Arriving the property, you’ll notice its set off just into a residential area, directly behind the Parliament building, and a short walk from all the major attractions, eateries and shopping. I really liked the location of this hotel since I could leave to sightsee during the day but return back the hotel in a quieter area at night. To me, it was the best of both worlds.

When you pull up to the property you’ll drive down a long entryway to the grand entrance. I was greeted by several bellhops who insisted on taking my bag. I walked into the lobby, greeted by a large atrium with meeting space below. To the right is the front desk. As I was checking in, the clerk noted that I had been assigned a suite (I used a Diamond suite upgrade for this stay) without a view and if I waited for an hour one with a view would be come available. This wasn’t an issue so we completed check-in formalities and I left the property to walk around, returning an hour later to gain access to my new, better room.

My suite was in the left tower of the hotel — the tower on the other side house more rooms and the Park Club, which I’ll talk about more in a minute.

My Room

I was assigned a Park Suite, which was really spacious, in my opinion. Walking through the door, you entered a separate living room complete with a sitting area and desk space as well as a full, working fire place. Since some evenings were cool during my stay, I turned on this fire place several times.

Walking to the right was a long hallway complete with cabinetry and closet space on either side. The bathroom was off to the left and featured a soaking tub on the left, sinks in the center and a walk-in shower on the right. The bathroom was very large, and because I could store my luggage on the adjacent closet shelf, it was very convenient to get dressed. Also here was the coffee maker, and drawer space for storage. Overall, there was a ton of storage here. The bathroom also featured a separate toilet room, complete with an additional sink. This suite is great for folks needing privacy or traveling together.

Walking further down the hallway was the separate bedroom, complete with a King bed, an armchair and television. Again, this room like the rest of the suite was very spacious and I had no problem sprawling out.

The Park Club

One of the unique things about this hotel is the Park Club, a Regency/Grand Club of sorts located on the top floor of the hotel, accessible to Diamonds and those staying in suites. If I’m correct, I believe this is the only Park Hyatt that has this type of facility. Each day they’d have a selection of hot appetizers in the evening, as well as complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the day. On Sundays they offered a continental breakfast – the other days you had it in the Radii restaurant.

I have to say the service in this club was phenomenal. Two attendants staffed it each day and they were on their game to the max. With beverages laid out for the taking, if you happen to have moved something or taken something to askew the presentation in the slightest, they were there within moments to fix it.

The food spread here was very good during the evening, with a great selection of cheeses, vegetables, dips, breads and at least two hot appetizers. There was also a selection of desserts, too. Unlike Regency and Grand Clubs, alcohol was complimentary here, as was sparkling water, sodas and other non-alcoholic drinks. To be honest, the food here is enough to make a meal of it at night, so if you want to save money, you can honestly get away with having a filling dinner, if you so choose.

Seating was ample, both in tables, as well as couch seating.

Facilities

The hotel has a great lap pool as well as spa, with plenty of lounge chairs outside for sun bathing. Additionally, there’s an extensive gym, too.

Breakfast

Breakfast each morning is served in Radii restaurant, and due to my Diamond status, I was given complimentary continental breakfast each morning. A hot offering of omelettes, pancakes, French toast and other items was also on offer, though I would have to pay an $8 surcharge to partake, which I did only once. On the continental side, there’s a good selection of juices, yogurt, fruit, pastries, cheeses and meats.

My Take

I was really impressed with this hotel, and found it to be in a great location, with great service. I especially enjoyed the Park Club facilities and would consider returning to this property just for that, if I had a choice of where to stay in Melbourne. I really had a fantastic stay here and was sad to leave the property, to be honest. To stay at this hotel for free, consider getting the Hyatt Credit Card.