A rare accommodation gem set in a grand old heritage-listed building in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.
Where
Treasury on Collins Apartment Hotel, 394 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria
What to expect
Travellers are effusive in their praise for the Treasury on Collins Apartment Hotel on review websites, and it’s easy to see why. Anyone who has grown fatigued by cookie-cutter high-rise serviced apartments will find this a breath of fresh air.
The hotel doesn’t have an elaborate entrance, so many people don’t even know that this stately building is home to accommodation. It’s a bit of a hidden secret.
Set in a heritage-listed building that dates back to 1876 (it originally housed the Bank of Australasia), there is a sense of history and old world charm throughout the space.
Feel right at home in the thick of Melbourne’s CBD
The original two-storey building has been refurbished and slightly elevated in more recent years when it was transformed into apartment style accommodation. Thankfully architects have retained many of the original neo-classical design elements.
On ground level is the Bank restaurant, which still has the old teller windows dotted throughout. Look up and you’ll see an old coat of arms on the balustrade, featuring the sheep upon whose back the country was built. There are plenty of beautiful old quirks like this, if you take the time to look. The friendly hotel staff are happy to take the time to point out these features for history and design buffs.
The location is exceptional. It’s situated on the corner of Queen and Collins Street, which means it’s in Melbourne’s free tram zone, so you can whiz around CBD attractions without paying a cent. Trams to the MCG, Rod Laver Arena and Docklands football stadium are also just a block away, so it’s a great choice for visiting sports fans.
Breakfast is free if you book your room directly with the hotel and includes a plentiful hot and cold selection. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and snacks are complimentary for guests all day in the lounge, and there is unlimited free wi-fi throughout the hotel as well (and it’s a good-quality collection, which regular travellers can attest is something of a refreshing change when it comes to free hotel wi-fi).
In some ways the Treasury on Collins has the feel of a country hotel. Unlike other soulless CBD accommodation where you barely notice your fellow guests, there’s a warm community vibe. This is especially obvious at the “afternoon wine down” session, where you can enjoy free Victorian Tahbilk wines and snacks from 4–6pm every day on the beautifully appointed mezzanine level. It’s a great way to meet fellow guests, if that’s what you’re after.
Luxurious communal areas
The rooms
One of the things that sets this hotel apart is the size of the rooms. No pokey bedrooms and claustrophobia here – there’s a great sense of space in each of the 95 suites and apartments thanks to the lofty ceilings and generous floor plans that range from the 40-square-metre plaza suites to 85-square-metre two-bedroom apartments.
Enormous windows fill the rooms with natural light. The décor is playful with bright pops of colour in the soft furnishings, and games and little jokes are scattered throughout the apartments. In the bathroom is a sign next to two rubber duckies reading ‘duck it … run a bath!’ There’s also a Rubik’s Cube on the desk with a note saying they’ll give you a free bottle of wine or a can of Pringles if you can solve it. It’s hard to imagine a better motivator to use your brain.
Expect bright pops of colour in the soft furnishings
I was mildly worried about noise, with the hotel being in the heart of the city with trams dinging their way down Collins Street, but it was pleasingly quiet once you’re in your room.
The room we stayed in (a one-bedroom apartment) had two flat screen TVs – one in the loungeroom and one in the bedroom. And a huge bonus? All the TVs have free Netflix on them. In fact, the Treasury claims to be ‘Australia’s first Netflix hotel’.
The apartments have a well-equipped kitchenette with Nespresso coffee machine, as well as a laundry with washer and dryer which is handy for longer stays. Some rooms have a lovely balcony as well. The bathroom has a good strong shower over a generous bathtub, as well as luxe Molton Brown toiletries.
Take a seat at the bar
The verdict
This is great value accommodation in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. Staying in a heritage-listed building in the city is a charming departure from your standard high-rise accommodation.
We rated
The new-classical design of the building, the spacious, bright rooms with their lofty high ceilings and the little extra perks, like free breakfast, good quality wi-fi and free afternoon wines.
We’d change
Sometimes you want to stay in bed and order room service as a holiday treat. But unfortunately that’s not an option here – instead you can call up and order takeaway from the Bank restaurant downstairs that you go and collect yourself (the restaurant is not actually part of the hotel).
Having said that, you’re in a city that is home to some of the best restaurants in the country, so ordering room service could be seen as a bit of a culinary crime.
