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 140
years ago, the ribbon was cut
on Europe’s first great hotel, a grand and auspicious accommodation in
the heart of London that saw royalty, foreign dignitaries, and celebrity
industrialists and thespians pass through its doors with great
frequency. When luxury hotels, and hospitality itself, were just nascent
concepts in the sphere of world travel, Langham Hotels International set
a deluxe standard that developers of later decades and centuries did
their best to emulate. Today, the LHI emblem bears the same meaning as
it did in London’s city center during the Dickens years, only today
the owner-operated hotels have moved into a strong niche sphere,
operating out of a select number of cosmopolitan metropolises. Beginning
on the first of January 2005, that collection added two Sheraton
properties to its portfolio, including an elegant riverside gem in the
exciting Victorian city of Melbourne.
The ushering in of the new year under the LHI flag signals the hotel’s
return to the highest ranks of international business hotels worldwide.
On the south shore of the Yarra River, against the Southbank Promenade
and overlooking Flinders Street and the downtown core, staying at the
Langham centers you directly in Melbourne’s cultural center. The
National Arts Gallery and Melbourne Concert Hall are just steps from the
lobby, while the magnificent Royal Botanical Gardens and the King’s
Domain are just minutes away, along a southward bend in the Yarra. With
the city’s great sites at your doorstep, along with the finest shops,
parks, restaurants, and nightlife, the Langham positions you beautifully
for the essential Melbourne experience.
The
hotel’s elegantly appointed 387 rooms and suites situate guests in
unrivalled luxury, especially for those staying in the select collection
of rooms that offer views of the Melbourne skyline and the Yarra River.
From here, bright shafts of natural, angular light reflect off the
downtown corporate towers and light up Melbourne in afternoon sunshine.
Rooms feature broad windows looking out onto Melbourne city, as well as
a spacious office niche in the cast of light, where broadband Internet
access and a variety of other office amenities allow business guests to
keep balanced their professional tim etables.
In terms of style and décor, accommodations at the Langham are classic
and timeless, with traditional textiles and high thread-count linens, as
well as gorgeous furnishings that are the height of luxury. In the
Executive Club Rooms, the treatment exceeds the appearance, where
special privileges include a full butler service and exclusive use of
the lounge for breakfast and refreshments.
For
all hotel guests, there is the Melbourne institution, three times daily.
The Melba Brasserie, with its envious views of the city skyline
through its floor-to-ceiling window panels, has a reputation for one of
the finest international menus in the city. Whether ordering a la
carte or feasting on the exceptional buffet, each meal is an
experience. The dinner menu, especially, discounts all the middling
preconceptions that are
synonymous with buffets. At the Melba Brasserie, guests are
greeted with a fresh seafood bar of oysters, king prawn, scallops and
crab, and a variety of innovative and exciting salads. Mains take
inspirations from all over the East, and include Asian duck pancakes,
Singapore murtabak in roti, beef bourguignon, and Hainanese chicken
rice. Along with specialty coffees, teas, and a cart full of classic
European desserts, there is little wonder guests find themselves filing
through the brasserie’s doors three times daily. In between these
trips, guests tend to migrate to and from the Tisane Lounge, an
elegant little eatery and lounge that is most popular from 2:30 to 5:00
p.m., when traditional high tea is served, a classic vestige of British
influence.
And
while it is rare to recommend, and in fact unnecessary to contemplate
another restaurant beyond the front doors of the Langham Melbourne, the
legend growing around Taxi dining room is too zealous to ignore.
Led by the twin genius of executive chef Michael Lambie and sushi chef
Ikuei Arakane, the menu assembled at Taxi is part contemporary
Australian, with obvious Japanese undertones, and part classic Japanese,
with innovative and classic takes on sushi and sashimi. The room itself
is stunning, a grandiose façade of steel and glass at the sharp end of
contemporary architectural thought, and the food is not far behind;
mostly  exceptional
while occasionally confusing, there is no question that a night at Taxi
is the template for a fond and memorable experience. King Island
crayfish ravioli is a standout, as is the cucumber soup and the organic
beef, while Arakane’s creations are brilliant and avant-garde. In
fact, just about everything is enterprising at Taxi, which
strikes a fine balance with the classic feel of Flinders Street in
downtown Melbourne.
All
that said it seems the dawn of a new Langham era in Melbourne is just
beginning to gather some momentum. Set to open at some point in the
month of January 2005, the Chuan Spa will re-align conventional
thinking about the place of a spa in a business hotel. Combining the
finest traditions of the East and West, and the principles of Yin and
Yang, the spa is designed to foster an ambiance in tune with the ancient
traditions of the Chinese garden, a place where one can escape to
nurture, heal, and restore. “Chuan” means flowing water, provider of
life and source of renewal. Considering the sense of comfort and
tranquility on which the Langham name was built, some might argue the
addition of a new spa is superfluous. For 140 years, guests have
peacefully passed through Langham hotels like ‘Chuan’, bearing
witness to a flagship standard of excellence in hospitality. Today, that
tradition is born again, down under.
Where
to Stay
Langham
Hotel Melbourne - One Southgate Avenue, Southbank, Melbourne,
Victoria 3006, Australia T (61)(3) 8696 8888, F (61)(3) 9690
5889 - e-mail: mel.resv@langhamhotels.com
- http://www.langhamhotels.com/langham/melbourne/
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