DoubleTree Perth Northbridge

[moa999]

Perth's Kings Cross. All you need is a needle injecting room, homeless shelters and backpacker accommodation.
And some of the city's best restaurants around the corner.

 

[kermatu]

Thanks @Austman Lounge does look good. I used to hate wait service drinks but now actually really appreciate it.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Is there a coffee tax at breakfast in the restaurant?

It's a good location even when you consider the salubrious establishments nearby.

 

[Denali]

Looks like there's also a kebab and icecream shop nearby, I know which salubrious establishments I will be indulging in.

 

[Austman]

s there a coffee tax at breakfast in the restaurant?

A $3 coffee tax. Although the machine coffee was free and not too bad.

Breakfast in the restaurant has a substantial selection. But there’s no windows. The Executive Lounge has the views but a more limited selection.

Here’s the pool. It’s not huge and not deep. But it is a pool!

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[purpleparrot]

Northbridge is a vibrant location. Sure, it's a bit gritty on a Friday or Saturday night but there's good food and pubs nearby, plenty of taxis and a very short walk into the city centre. IMO a far more interesting location than the Parmelia Hilton.

 

[kermatu]

IMO a far more interesting location than the Parmelia Hilton.

Parmelia has been a great location for my business needs, and a wonderfully quiet space on weekends. But otherwise agree it's pretty dead.

 

[Daver6]

If anyone is staying at the DT and enjoys a beer, I'd recommend Mechanics Institute which is a couple hundred metres walk (access via the rear lane way). Cool little outdoor, roof top (perhaps slightly hipster) place to blow the froth off a coldie.

 

[Finale]

I checked in on Friday when they were officially opened. Pool area was closed for a few hours for a ceremony or something. I quite like the location and I will pick this location/property again if I return to Perth. Friday and Saturday nights were really busy but we couldn't hear anything from the room.

Staff were quite nice and welcoming. The room wasn't large but comfortable. I had 2 stays there in Exec room (upgraded from panorama room and base room) on different sides of the hotel and the views were nothing special. Rooms were bright (coughpy camera). Most rooms face West and a few face East (Elevator side). Maybe corner rooms facing south & west/north are more interesting. Floor plans on 13 and 14 are a bit different. Looks like the corner rooms on 14 (and possibly 15 as well) are their exec deluxe rooms as they look bigger than the one on 13. The two rooms I stayed in had a bit different layout as well. I could open bathroom blind (next to the bed) and had a view while taking a shower or sitting on a toilet.





Gym did not have many equipment but at least with free weights and cable machine. Small pool next to the gym. I didn't take a photo as there were a few people there.



Lounge had less choices for breakfast ie only scrambled eggs and bacon while restaurant had boiled, poached and probably fried eggs as well plus baked beans, hash brown, sausage, pancake etc. Hot food in the evening were different each day. Prawn twists, Soup and pasta with chicken wings on the day I arrived. Green curry with rice and prawn dumplings which were quite yummy on the day before I left. Looked like they wanted to feed you dinner.






I first thought this property was quite average until we moved to Crowne Plaza due to my partner's work and that hotel was horrendous. Very happy to move back to DT again the next day.

One annoying thing was while the hotel provided wine glasses, they could not give us a corkscrew due to licensing. I normally have it in my toilet bag but brought a different one this time. It was Saturday after 6 and Coles, Woolies and a lot of places were already closed. We walked around and found IGA that sold them. Refused to pay $25 at a souvenir store. Wasted an hour and missed the sunset.

 

[DC3]

... One annoying thing was while the hotel provided wine glasses, they could not give us a corkscrew due to licensing .... Refused to pay $25 at a souvenir store.

Thanks for posting about your stay. I must try staying there instead of the Parmelia when next in Perth.

WA must have some odd liquor licensing laws. Anyway, for $25 there are some quite drinkable screw-cap wines around. I guess that the bottle shops may have been closed by then, anyway, being Perth.

 

[Finale]

Thanks for posting about your stay. I must try staying there instead of the Parmelia when next in Perth.

WA must have some odd liquor licensing laws. Anyway, for $25 there are some quite drinkable screw-cap wines around. I guess that the bottle shops may have been closed by then, anyway, being Perth.

It didn't make sense to me. English isn't my first language and I had to ask my Aussie partner if I heard correctly when a lounge staff told us about the corkscrew.

Cellarbrations at IGA was still open but we already bought 5 bottles so we just grabbed an opener for $3.5 (woolies would have been only $1.5). I had quite a hard time searching for a good bottle shop. We ended up going to Vintage Cellars but found a place called Tiny's not far from there. It was small but had some interesting selection of wines.

 

[DC3]

It didn't make sense to me. English isn't my first language and I had to ask my Aussie partner if I heard correctly when a lounge staff told us about the corkscrew ...

Reminds me of South Australia, pre-1970's. I was raised in Adelaide. The place was run by teetotallers who are long gone now.

 

[Austman]

One annoying thing was while the hotel provided wine glasses, they could not give us a corkscrew due to licensing.

I suspect it was that they simply didn't have any to borrow or thought you were questioning why there was no wine in the rooms. The licensing thing is probably about being able to supply alcohol in the minibar - which they don't do. The mini fridge is empty except for coffee/tea milk.

I mean anyone can buy a corkscrew/bottle opener in Coles or Woolworths.

 

[Daver6]

I'm pretty confident it was made up. No such silly law would exist. They clearly wanted you to buy their wine.

In WA some restaurants that are licenses (ie sell wine on their menu), when asked if you can BYO will tell you that you're not allowed to as they're not licensed for it. Complete ignorance of the law. They just use that as an excuse as it sounds much better than just saying no.

 

[Finale]

We actually asked if it was possible to drink our own bottle in the lounge which I already expected a no. If not, we would like to borrow a corkscrew so we could drink in the room. She didn't know and went to staff room to talk to someone then came back and said we couldn't due to licensing (as expected) and because of this licensing thing, the hotel couldn't give us a corkscrew as well. We argued and said wine glasses were there in the room. Again it was a licensing issue that prevented the hotel from giving it to us.

Maybe we just happened to talk to an ignorant staff. My partner was pissed off big time as he would miss a sunset but I found this whole thing funny. I'm quite used to not drinking in the lounge as my partner is never happy with the quality of wine or drinks offered in any lounge. He even brought his own tea to the lounge lol To be fair, their sprinkling white wine was fine. I didn't have any red and I do not like sauvignon blanc which was the only white option other than sparkling.

 

[kermatu]

Thanks @Finale

 

[Daver6]

We actually asked if it was possible to drink our own bottle in the lounge which I already expected a no. If not, we would like to borrow a corkscrew so we could drink in the room. She didn't know and went to staff room to talk to someone then came back and said we couldn't due to licensing (as expected) and because of this licensing thing, the hotel couldn't give us a corkscrew as well. We argued and said wine glasses were there in the room. Again it was a licensing issue that prevented the hotel from giving it to us.

Maybe we just happened to talk to an ignorant staff. My partner was pissed off big time as he would miss a sunset but I found this whole thing funny. I'm quite used to not drinking in the lounge as my partner is never happy with the quality of wine or drinks offered in any lounge. He even brought his own tea to the lounge lol To be fair, their sprinkling white wine was fine. I didn't have any red and I do not like sauvignon blanc which was the only white option other than sparkling.

Next time you're in Perth, head to Shadow Wine Bar for wine. Decent selection by the glass and a great wine list. Food is a winner there too. Right near the hotel.

 

[Finale]

Next time you're in Perth, head to Shadow Wine Bar for wine. Decent selection by the glass and a great wine list. Food is a winner there too. Right near the hotel.

We went there 2 times Drinks on Fri and Dinner on Sat. Loved the food and wine there. Shocking service though. Northbridge is a very convenient location.

 

[Daver6]

Shocking service though.

Welcome to Perth

 

[Austman]

Maybe we just happened to talk to an ignorant staff.

It's all so new, just a few weeks, so those these things can happen.

Eg As a diamond we went to the executive lounge for breakfast. There I first asked the lounge staff, "as a diamond can we go to the restaurant if we like"? Many Hilton properties allow that. They lounge staff said we'd have to pay if we used the restaurant - fair enough. But we wanted a look and went to the restaurant anyway. There, the same question was answered "yes you can"! (so we did... )