Airport hotels are no longer mere places to nap between flights. They are now sophisticated sanctuaries of calm, wellness and indulgence away from the bustle of air travel, and even complete destinations in themselves. And one of the best and most award-winning airport hotels in Australia is Parkroyal Melbourne Airport sitting right alongside the terminal – so no shuttle trips needed – and the only hotel at the airport directly connected to the terminal via an undercover pedestrian skybridge, so you don’t even have to brave a wintry Melbourne morning to get to your plane.
This premium, brilliantly convenient hotel opened in 2001 as a Hilton but was rebranded a Parkroyal in 2011. Last year, the hotel underwent a complete, multi-million-dollar refurbishment, revealing a fresh and contemporary new look with enhanced facilities, so we checked in to check it out.
About the Hotel
First up, I’m going to expose myself as an amateur, part-time avgeek, or aerophile. I don’t track aircraft registrations or spend hours near runways but I do like to watch planes come and go sometimes. I find it absorbingly mesmerising. So this hotel is like Disneyland for avid plane watchers. No need to watch TV or scroll the phone. All the action is outside your window. From the upper floors, you can watch a veritable flurry of planes taxi, take off and land all day and, because Melbourne is a 24-hour airport, all night as well, with double glazed windows keeping the hotel’s refreshed and stylish interiors whisper quiet. The hotel even offers a special ‘Plane Spotting Package’(from $367 a room) for a runway-view room, binoculars which you can take home, breakfast, late check-out and a plane-spotting guide if you’re more serious than me at identifying flying objects.
The hotel’s recent facelift aimed to create a calming oasis filled with light and soft, earthy tones and, yes, the effect is very grounding (pun intended) – a welcome antidote to the harried terminals right next door. And as per company policy, all the lush plants are real, adding to the soothing, haven-like ambience.
All 276 rooms have been refreshed and, unlike most hotels, all boast king-size beds and bathtubs which would all be welcomed after long hours in the air. And because the six-storey hotel can’t rise further upwards because of its position at the airport, it has gone wide instead, with the long, spacious corridors measuring the same length as the MCG from goal post to goal post.
The 24/7 reception, plush Airo Bar and Restaurant, extensive conference facilities areas and impressive wellbeing centre have all been revitalised as well. The wellbeing centre is a standout feature of this hotel, offering a large and fully equipped, all-hours gym for 24/7 jettsetters plus a tranquil, heated 12m pool and hot jacuzzi – very therapeutic after a long flight – and a very steamy steam room and traditional sauna. In fact, the hotel offers a great-value $25 wellbeing centre pass for anyone, allowing use of all these facilities and a shower – ideal for travellers coming and going.
Another handy concept the hotel offers is short stay room rates which allow use of a room to sleep or refresh and access to the fitness and wellness facilities – ideal for long layovers. These rates are available 7am-7pm and cost $109 for three hours, $119 for five hours and $149 for eight hours.
There are so many reasons to use an airport hotel like this for a few hours or overnight:
* You have a very early flight in the morning and want to stay the night before
* You’re from a regional area a long drive away and want to stay at the hotel before and/or after your flight
* You have a long stopover between flights
* You’re flown into Melbourne for the day for work and want to use a day pass for the gym, pool and freshen up before heading to the city, or on the way back
* You have a few hours to kill before your flight and want a calm hotel environment in which to catch up on emails with a drink and bite to eat
* You have work, family or friends close to the airport so the hotel makes an ideal base in the area
* You’re welcoming or farewelling friends or relatives and would like to make use of the airport’s bar and lounge for some relaxing, celebratory time together
* You live in Victoria and just want to live it up for a fun weekend somewhere different than the city
* You’re a serious avgeek and are keen to watch planes from a luxury room all day long!
The Rooms
Our sweepingly spacious and deliciously airy, 66sqm spa suite – one of four on the top floor – is an indulgent haven boasting an alluring king bed, even more alluring spa tub for two, lounge and dining area, two large smart TVs, extra powder room, and cinematic views over the whole airport, runways and towards distant mountains. Our west-facing room offered spectacular sunset views as well, best enjoyed with a bottle of red we found! We couldn’t get one of the two TVs to work but for us, the entertainment was the enthralling views, day and night, over the ever-busy airport.
The mini-bar is electronically automated when items are removed so be sure you want to purchase them first. A chocolate bar, chips, water or juice are all $6, a beer $13 and bottled wine $30. Our corner suite offered sweeping views and it was a long walk from the lift in this extra wide hotel but so very worth it!
Parkroyal Melbourne Airport also offers four business suites, eight family rooms, eight rooms for the mobility challenged , 64 deluxe rooms, 70 superior rooms and 118 standard rooms, again all with king beds, baths and coffee machines, so even the lowest category room here would be on par with a premium room in other mid-stream hotels.
The Dining
The hotel’s swishly hushed Airo bar lounge and restaurant is a world away from the harried, clinical atmosphere of airport food outlets. Here, day and overnight guests can trade airport food for tasty, chef-curated dishes focused on seasonal, Victorian produce. A bit early for dinner, we first took a pit stop in the lounge where palate-pleasing snacks such as Pacific oysters, cheesy wagyu meatballs, Korean fried chicken and artisan local cheese platters are available.
We enjoyed dinner in the restaurant immensely, with our ever-smiling, relaxedly efficient and welcoming waiter, Najaah, guiding us through the experience, which was akin to that at any upmarket restaurant in the city. We enjoyed spiced gin-cured salmon ($30) and Wimmera duck breast ($31) for entrée, maple-roasted lamb rack ($58) and black Angus beef eye fillet ($62) for mains and we shared a light and fluffy vanilla panna cotta ($28) for dessert. Wines are around $50-70 a bottle and beers around $12. We paired our dishes with a local Mornington Peninsula rose, which was delicately refreshing. All the dishes were delightfully flavoursome and the service was playful and casually elegant. We agreed we would dine here again even if we weren’t flying anywhere.
There are live screens in the Airo lounge showing all flight arrivals and departures, so as your flight time approaches, you can simply walk the few steps across to the terminal via the covered, pedestrian aerobridge, offering an easy and seamless connection between hotel and airport.
The restaurant also a kid’s menu and activity kits and 24-hour in-room dining. If your plane has just arrived and you’re a craving a spag bog at 2am, it’s $32, or a toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich is $19.
Frequent Traveller
Pan Pacific’s GHA Discovery program – free loyalty program which offers exclusive savings and privileges on accommodation and dining and free room upgrades subject to availability.
Meetings and Conferences
The hotel’s extensive 1000 sqm events floor was totally transformed as part of the recent refurbishment. The logistical and cost-effective appeal here is that instead of interstate delegates travelling into the city to attend conferences, they can just walk across from the airport to their meeting, with mini bars and new, state-of-the-art technology supporting 16 versatile rooms that can be used separately or together for groups from 17 to 300. Perfect for fly-in-fly out meetings.
Hot Tips
East-facing rooms offer distant city views but the west-fronting rooms overlooking the runways face the sun and are filled with light. Live it up and go for a top floor room offering staggering vistas over the whole airport. It’s a view unlike that of any other hotel room and worth the extra expense for the experience. Note that lower floors don’t have runway views. The afternoon sun also fills the gym and pool with light so it’s a good time then to enjoy those facilities. In fact, the pool and spa are so therapeutic after hours in the air, it would be great if they were open from 5.30am for early flyers (pool is open 7am-10pm) but an evening swim also aids a restful sleep.
Bottom line
A deluxe, peaceful and completely refreshed oasis where you can truly relax from the stresses of air travel and the hustle and bustle of the airport. And although it’s a destination hotel in its own right, you can’t beat its convenience right next to the terminal with a covered walkway taking you direct from your bed to your plane.
* Rooms start at around $315 per night. A spa suite is from $567 a night inc breakfast for two (check for latest rates).
The Details
ADDRESS: Arrival Dve, Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine, VIC
PHONE: 03 8347 2000
EMAIL: enquiry.prmla@parkroyalhotels.com
WEBSITE: www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-melbourne-airprt/the-hotel
Disclaimer: The writer stayed as a guest of Park Royal Melbourne Airport.
