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[title]There are so many things going for Hotel Lindrum: It has the intimacy of a boutique hotel, well-preserved heritage and a convenient location in Melbourne CBD. For a start, it’s a handsome hotel; from the moment you push through that discreet heavy wooden door into the softly lit reception area filled with plush couches, to the little bar at the back with open fireplace and leather sofas, this hotel feels like an upmarket gentlemen’s club. But it’s not uptight at all, as the vibe is casual and the service warm and friendly.
There are only 59 rooms here, and while they are each beautifully appointed with a comfy bed complete with pillow menu, free WiFi and Appelles Apothecary designer toiletries, only selected rooms have views overlooking Melbourne Park and the Botanical Gardens (others overlook alleys and well, another building, which is more common than you think for hotels in CBD). But that’s hardly the point. The rooms have a sense of mood and intimacy to them; they are done up in masculine tones of deep green, cream and muted brown, and feature heavy woven carpets, polished wooden floors and dark wood furnishings. In fact, the rooms look swish but still feel homey, unlike the sterile, contrived space of most hotel rooms. Our junior suite even has a wooden armoire that separates the bedroom from the sitting area complete with a chaise lounge and a second television.
From the outside, you can’t miss Hotel Lindrum’s distinctive heritage-listed building. Built in 1900, the red brick Romanesque Revival style architecture was popular back then. First the building was a store for the famous tea merchant Griffiths Brothers, and later a billiard centre named after the legendary billiard champion Walter Lindrum. When the building was later restored and turned into the current Hotel Lindrum, the hotel paid homage to the billiard centre that it once was by restoring an original billiard table, which now sits in the foyer surrounded by Walter Lindrum’s medals and memorabilia.
Another plus point for Hotel Lindrum is the location; it is close to just about everything Melbourne has to offer. It’s within walking distance to Federation Square, National Gallery of Victoria, the retail strips of Collins Street and Flinders Lane, and if you need to go further, the free City Circle tram stops just outside the hotel doors.
Hotel Lindrum is part of Accor’s MGallery memorable hotels collection (www.mgallery.com). 26 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Australia (+61 3 9668 1111/www.hotellindrum.com.au). Rooms from AU$215 (about RM630).