Looking for a quieter, more tranquil stay in Melbourne far from the hustle and bustle of the centre of Melbourne? We try out the Courtyard by Marriott Melbourne Flagstaff Gardens in West Melbourne, on the fringe of the city centre and see what this hotel has to offer including their "Market to Garden Picnic Experience".
There are advantages to staying in West Melbourne. One of these is the more affordable room rates (which adds up if you're staying for anything more than a night) but it's also the proximity to Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne's oldest park and the renowned Queen Victoria Market which is replete with food offerings.
Mr NQN and I arrive into Melbourne just after 11am and it's a quick uber ride into West Melbourne on the fringe of the inner city. The hotel opened in March 2022 and is a sleek, modern hotel with a discreet, unassuming entrance and softly lit reception area.
Complimentary Waterdrop flavoured waters are available in the reception area and there's also a cafe and restaurant on the ground floor. I have only stayed at one Courtyard by Marriott when I was flying out of Santiago Airport and I found them clean with comfortable beds and very helpful staff.
The Suite
We head to the 5th floor where our room 509 is one of the suites with a well sized balcony spanning 33sqm/355 sq ft. While the reception is softly lit, like a garden or a forest, the rooms are bright and airy. Our suite is divided into two main areas: the lounge with a chaise lounge, dining table, fridge and tv and a large print of Flagstaff Gardens (the prints feature throughout the hotel).
This leads out onto the balcony. I spend some time on the balcony looking at the view and the gardens to the left before exploring the suite further. It's modern with large floor to ceiling windows and a New York apartment vibe.
The bathroom has a shower and a single sink and plenty of space to lay out toiletries with a make up mirror and Nirvae botanical products.
The bedroom has a very comfortable king bed, tv and luggage stand as well as robes and slippers (for one person, just call down to reception to get another set). The bedroom looks out onto another smaller balcony but guests cannot access this as the door is locked. The suite is also very clean.
What To Do Around The Area
West Melbourne isn't far from the centre of Melbourne and is just a 15 minute walk to Elizabeth Street or a 5 minute walk to Koreatown. The hotel feels a bit like having an apartment and living in Melbourne. The staff are always ready to offer really solid and personalised recommendations too. The tram and Flagstaff train station are about 5 minutes walk away.
A must do when staying here is to head to Queen Victoria Market, 10 minutes away. Exit the hotel and walk through Flagstaff Gardens. This is Melbourne's oldest park and has had many incarnations from a colonial burial ground to a signalling station until 1862 where it was transformed into a 19th-century gardenesque style.
The Courtyard by Marriott Flagstaff Gardens encourages guests with its Market to Garden Picnic Experience where guests can borrow a picnic basket with picnic blanket, cutlery and napkins which is complimentary. You can also add on a bottle of Chandon Brut for $65 or Lyre's non alcoholic prosecco for $50. There's no need to call ahead, just pick these up daily from 9am-5pm from the front desk.
We pick up some picnic provisions from the stalls in the Dairy Hall. I pick up some Bruny Island oysters from Tasmania, focaccia from Wood Frog Bakery, bratwurst rolls from Bratwurst Shop & Co, Boreks from The Borek Shop, dips and olives from the Queen Victoria Deli and cannoli from the Cannoleria to have with the Chandon Brut.
The weather could not be more perfect for the picnic and crowds swell on this warm day and we watch a wedding and an energetic match of Hardcourt Bike Polo in the distance. We lie back and enjoy our feast and say hello to all the dogs that stop past. The weather is playing ball - in early September you never know what you'll get but the breeze is warm with a high in the mid 20s.
However if the weather is inclement, you can always set up the picnic in your room.
Breakfast
Every day breakfast is served from the dedicated restaurant on the first floor (on weekends it finishes at 10:30am). Barista coffee as well as tea is available and you place the order with the friendly staff.
There is a wide selection of items from cold (cut fresh and poached fruit, salads, pastries, cereal, breads) as well as hot options (bacon, sweet potato, sausages, congee, French toast and Singapore noodles). There are also gluten free options available.
There is also an a la carte egg station where you can order eggs to your liking. They make me a perfect egg white omelette and I help myself to the Singapore noodles and congee while healthy Mr NQN enjoys the cut fruit, yogurt and dried fruit on top.
Breakfast in Room
One of my favourite things is ordering room service breakfast especially when breakfast finishes at 10am which it does on weekdays. The breakfast here is fantastic and you can pre order it the night before with reception or via phone or use the QR code to order it on the day.
Mr NQN chooses the healthy breakfast that comes with sliced half avocado on whole grain toast, fruit salad, bircher muesli, two soft poached eggs and a barista coffee and juice which is actually great value for $28.
My choice is the zucchini and corn fritters ($24) with a fresh corn and tomato salsa and beetroot hummus which I really enjoy. From what we've tried, the vegetarian food at the hotel is excellent.
The Restaurant
The hotel's cafe and restaurant Level Grounds is located on the street level on the right just as you walk into the Courtyard Marriott Flagstaff Gardens' lobby. It can get busy during peak periods around 7:30pm. The food is reasonably priced for a hotel restaurant and we had briefly toyed with ordering room service but we decided to try Level Grounds instead.
Take the cocktails which are all $17 while spritzes are $16, prices I haven't seen in Sydney for a long time. It's made the classic way with vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice.
Mr NQN chooses the roasted pumpkin and lentil coconut curry topped with curry leaves and served with a generous amount of basmati rice and soft roti bread. This is real comfort food that is also perfectly tasty and well seasoned. We would order this again in a heartbeat.
My order is for the Texan spiced roast chicken maryland smothered in bbq sauce with fries and a house slaw. The chicken is very tender and I really like the bbq chicken glaze on it. It comes with a massive amount of fries and a slaw that is very lightly dressed with a vinaigrette and not a mayonnaise based dressing.
We share a dessert of a wonder pie. We didn't know what to expect but it's an individual pie filled with apple and blackberry pie with a pot of cream on the side. The crust is tender and the filling is not too sweet and Mr NQN devours this.
Pros
The Courtyard Marriott Flagstaff Gardens nails many of the most important things that people look for in a hotel: clean rooms, comfortable bed, a solid food offering, good water pressure in shower, great service and price. This isn't a quirky hotel with surprises.
Cons
If you want to walk out of your hotel and be in the middle of the action this isn't for you. Also if you want a lot of restaurants to choose from at your hotel, then this may not be for you. Restaurants are a short walk or tram ride away.
So tell me Dear Reader, when you visit Melbourne, do you prefer staying right in the CBD or somewhere a little quieter?
NQN and Mr NQN were guests of Courtyard by Marriott Flagstaff Gardens but all opinions remain her own.
Courtyard by Marriott Melbourne Flagstaff Gardens
50 Batman St, West Melbourne VIC 3003
Phone: (03) 9120 1000
www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/melcy-courtyard-melbourne-flagstaff-gardens/overview/
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