Pullman Melbourne City Centre

[Virgin Bart]

Confirmed rumour that Mercure Grand Swanston will be changing to a Pullman over the next 12 months. They'll also split formally from Mercure Welcome Melbourne - a welcome change.

Three rooms (201, 202 and 203 from memory) have been changed to Pullman rooms as a prototype. Not sure if they're bookable.

 

[Virgin Bart]

And the new Pullman will include a rooftop pool and executive lounge!

 

[kermatu]

And the new Pullman will include a rooftop pool and executive lounge!

That is encouraging.

 

[moffat39]

Grand Mercure is my preferred Accor property in Melbourne given that you can never get the Sofitel on one of the Accor sales. My last stay was in August this year and hotel was in need of a refurb and looking very tired. There will need to be a major refurb including bathrooms if it is to be a Pullman.

There is already a rooftop pool (but have never used it) and the executive floor is good news.

I hope there is still availability for the property in the Accor sales.

 

[Skrambled]

Have stayed here recently and was a bit disappointed. Can be quite noisy.

 

[Virgin Bart]

Confirmed rumour that Mercure Grand Swanston will be changing to a Pullman over the next 12 months. They'll also split formally from Mercure Welcome Melbourne - a welcome change.

Three rooms (201, 202 and 203 from memory) have been changed to Pullman rooms as a prototype. Not sure if they're bookable.

As a follow up. The rooms are available at check in (I think for Grand Mercure customers) for an extra $50pn.

 

[Dr Bob]

That's good news. Never stayed there & had heard that it needs work so a refurb to Pullman status will be good indeed. Have stayed a lot at Pullman on the Park & some nights for less than $100. Staying at the Sofitel next week (3 nights) in a club room that I got on sale a while ago for just over $200 a night but the parking is a killer. Am gold so hopefully an upgrade to a corner room but no matter if not as I think the club is the best I have used & the price was too good to miss. Disappointed to see the old Grand leave the group earlier this year. Does anyone know who she is with now?

 

[Pablo]

Staying here tomorrow night. The hotel has only just reopened as a Pullman. Will be interesting to review.
Their pre-arrival experience is certainly raising expectations. SMS confirming my arrival and if they can help with anything. That’s new for Accor.

 

[oz_mark]

Staying here tomorrow night. The hotel has only just reopened as a Pullman. Will be interesting to review.
Their pre-arrival experience is certainly raising expectations. SMS confirming my arrival and if they can help with anything. That’s new for Accor.

Must depend on hotels, I've had plenty of pre-arrival phone calls and messages from various Accor hotels.

 

[desafinado74]

Hello everyone, i am from Melbourne, but planning to stay here for 2 nights as a Staycation (I am using my AMEX travel credits for this)

Has anyone here tried their breakfast buffet ? If so, is it worth paying extra for it ?

 

[desafinado74]

Staying here tomorrow night. The hotel has only just reopened as a Pullman. Will be interesting to review.
Their pre-arrival experience is certainly raising expectations. SMS confirming my arrival and if they can help with anything. That’s new for Accor.

Hi Pablo, how was your stay at the new Pullman ?

 

[Pablo]

So sorry, I meant to do a report the other day.

I loved my stay here. It feels really fresh and modern, and had a great lounge.

They are still finishing off the foyer etc, but here are some photos.

Lounge was good - although they didn't have a great range of drinks - one red, white, a coughtail of the day and beer.

They did have food there - the arachini (sp??) balls were amazing.

Room was great - I got an upgrade to a corner room and the TV was massive.

Restaurant service wasn't great - took a long time to get my meal, but it was nice when it arrived.

Great location, I'll stay again.


Executive lounge

 

[jakeseven7]

Gym looks great.
Room looks a bit tacky, very Sydney

 

[desafinado74]

So sorry, I meant to do a report the other day.

I loved my stay here. It feels really fresh and modern, and had a great lounge.

They are still finishing off the foyer etc, but here are some photos.

Lounge was good - although they didn't have a great range of drinks - one red, white, a coughtail of the day and beer.

They did have food there - the arachini (sp??) balls were amazing.

Room was great - I got an upgrade to a corner room and the TV was massive.

Restaurant service wasn't great - took a long time to get my meal, but it was nice when it arrived.

Great location, I'll stay again.

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Executive lounge


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Many thanks for the photos and review Pablo. I do agree that the location is top notch. Can you hear any street noise and trams at night ? Gotta say, the gym looks groovy but not sure how anyone could exercise in such a dim environment haha

 

[Pablo]

Many thanks for the photos and review Pablo. I do agree that the location is top notch. Can you hear any street noise and trams at night ? Gotta say, the gym looks groovy but not sure how anyone could exercise in such a dim environment haha

Couldn’t hear any noise at all, although I was on one of the top floors.
The gym wasn’t really functioning - they were still finishing it off - so not sure if it would end up looking a bit different. I was impressed with it though - at least for a hotel gym

 

[oliver_adl]

I stayed here for 2 nights last week. We arrived quite late after a delayed international flight and were a little puzzled on arrival to be dropped off in the dark laneway off Swanston street with a locked door and intercom to call lobby staff. Once called someone came running and opened up for us immediately.

I'm an Accor Platinum member and was given a box of chocolates and two extra complimentary bottles of water (plastic, which was only notable because the cartons in the room with water were not plastic).

The suite shape we had on the 5th floor was really odd with a mini lounge/dining area and a bedroom barely bigger than the king size bed in it. All decorated in the 'trendy modern' style as pictures in this post already indicate. Not exactly spacious for a 5 star hotel but it's in the CBD in refurbished building so hard to complain about that.

Highlight at this hotel was the lounge which up on the top floor is very spacious and nicely designed (like a 1950s lounge); with quite a different theme to the rooms and lobby (K-mart catalogue look which actually reminded me of the new Novotel and South Wharf near the Convention Centre). Maybe I was a bit spoilt after a Pullman in coughet and SO/ hotels in Singapore and Bangkok beforehand but the breakfast buffet was pretty small; to be fair the a-la carte options were very good. Strangely they had no prepared juice - but a juicer ready to go to make your own juice only.

Some of the staff seemed a bit 'new' in a eager and uncertain way but this isn't a complaint; the hotel only opened a month ago apparently. One of the lifts (of 3) was in maintenance half the time and tradies were still wandering around discreetly with tape-measures in some areas and in the lounge so I think they are still making some finishing touches

I would probably only stay here again if needing to be in the CBD - much nicer than Novotel on Collins (which is a terrible warren of a building) and better priced than the Sofitel (overpriced in Melbourne), but traffic and access by vehicle in the CBD is painful to say the least.

My preferred Accor properties in Melbourne will likely remain Quay West or the Pullman at Albert Park as that side of town is typically best for my business visits and I've found the upgrades at Quay West to be much better as a high tier Accor visitor.