| Languishing in the Langham Hotel
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Look to the west and the swanky Docklands apartment buildings rise above the open roof of modern Telstra Stadium. Look to the east, beyond the striking Federation Square architecture and the distant Dandenong Ranges dominate the horizon, while in the foreground commuter trains rush through the outer suburbs. Look to the south and the Botanic Gardens are seemingly on fire with autumn shades of pale orange to vivid scarlet clash with the evergreen pines guarding the Shrine of Remembrance. And all the while the city trams rumble and clang along their tracks disgorging their passengers on every corner. |
 | ||||||||||||||
| Multi Award Winning Checking into the Langham Hotel is a bit like walking into a Conde Nest Travel magazine. Perhaps not surprising, considering the number of awards the readers of this magazine have steeped on the Langham. This is a seriously glamorous hotel with traditionally elegant touches. From the carved marble staircase and sparkling chandeliers, the heavily marbled foyer is a precursor to the luxury found throughout the hotel. It's all plush soft furnishings with luxuriously soft carpet that my feet almost disappear in as I follow dutifully behind the Bellboy taking my luggage to my room. |
 | ||||||||||||||
| Luxurious Rooms I am in a Corner Club Deluxe Suite, which turns out to be larger than most city apartments I have lived in. Although a little 'chintzy' for my personal taste, there is no mistaking the understated elegance of this haven. The guest powder room is a nice touch if we want to entertain in room, and the mini bar stocked with real tea and teapot is a welcome start to languid mornings with the newspaper. Floor to ceiling windows offer a mesmerising vista, both at street level and high up here on the 20th floor. The bathroom is all marble and sparkling glass and mirrors. It is enormous, and there are twin showerheads, the 'tumbling waterfall' kind that seem to have disappeared as the drought forces us to economise on such luxuries. But it is the immense bath that immediately grabs my attention and I make full use of the generously sized Chuan Spa toiletries. Imagining a languid weekend alternating between the crisply starched linen of the Langham signature blissful bed and the queen-sized bath, I'm tempted to put up the Do Not Disturb sign and order dinner from the enticing room service menu. But my partner isn't having it. We haven't flown down from our Hamilton Island home in order to hole up in a hotel room, idly surfing the ridiculous number of channels on the flat screen TV, he advises me firmly. Which is astounding in itself given his penchant for AFL and the distinct lack of coverage given in north QLD, and here we are in Australia's sports capital. So the king sized bed will just have to wait. |
.JPG "Langham Hotel Southbank Melbourne Victoria") | ||||||||||||||
Entertaining Southbank The lights of Southbank beckon and, after calling into the Club Lounge for complimentary aperitifs, we step out into a lingering Melbourne twilight for dinner. With so many temptations, it is such a tough decision, that we opt to not make any at all and instead end up on a self styled degustation meander that takes us to various bars offering tapas style delights. As befitting a hotel associated with The Leading Hotels of the World, the Langham boasts almost 400 well-appointed guest rooms and suites, almost all with city views. There's wireless internet access, laptop sized in-room safe deposit boxes, plush robes and slippers, plus all those TV channels. The highly acclaimed Chuan Spa offers rejuvenating treatments that bring together traditional Chinese medicine, massage and aromatherapy. Southbank's new rival Docklands has become an enticing waterfront alternative with a plethora of funky bars and restaurants, many that seemingly transform themselves as the days mood changes. On weekends the boardwalk buzzes from early morning onwards as apartment dwellers, joggers and dog walkers stop by to get their caffeine fix. By late morning the 'long lunch' crowd starts filling the alfresco tables, as the people watchers become the watched. As the apartment building shadows banish the suns' late afternoon warmth, the evening crowd arrives looking for hip and moody dining alternatives. The enticing thing about a weekend, indeed any length of time, in Melbourne is that there are just so many enticements beyond a luxurious Langham Hotel room, that I was never going to be allowed to just wallow amongst the starched linen all weekend. I did however ensure that I only revelled in Melbourne's renowned nightlife long enough to ensure plenty of time to enjoy the opulence of my Club Room. | |||||||||||||||
| Checklist | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Updated March 2009 | |||||||||||||||
.JPG)
      |
|
All information contained on this site should be used in conjunction with current official charts. Despite a high degree of confidence that all information was accurate at time of publishing, AMG accepts no responsibility for omissions or inaccuracies.If you discover incorrect contact details please Email us. All material and images appearing on this website are copyright to Australian Marinas Guide and may not be reproduced without the written permission of AMG.www.marinasguide.com.au ©Australian Marinas Guide |