New Melbourne hotel feels like New York meets ... Collingwood

1 week ago 7

The Place

Veriu, Collingwood.

Check-in

New York meets Melbourne – Veriu connected Johnston Street, Collingwood.

Situated connected Collingwood’s engaged Johnston Street, the Veriu’s downstairs lobby has a calming, well-designed consciousness reminiscent of a New York-style loft oregon renovated warehouse. Two brownish Chesterfield leather couches look disconnected astatine either broadside of the room, complimented by an exposed ceramic partition down the check-in antagonistic and a smattering of tables with requisite hardback books for perusing.

Reception unit are approachable and welcoming, with the bonus of being genuinely knowledgeable astir the area. It’s astir apt nary coincidence, I’m told a dense accent was fixed to front-of-house unit training, with recruits adjacent being sent connected scavenger hunts astir the neighbourhood to find the nearest station office, ATM, supermarket and more.

The look

The rooftop pool, said to beryllium the lone 1 successful Collingwood.

The edifice was designed successful conjunction with spot developer Tim Gurner, who is known to beryllium a fiend for each things New York and particularly its Meat Packing District. Gurner intelligibly drew parallels betwixt the 2 neighbourhoods’ creator leanings: the aesthetic throughline reflecting this, with tons of exposed brick, alloy girders, timber floorboards and a tasteful, minimalist approach.

Colour tones are accented towards a elemental monochromatic palette, including the corridors and rooms with overmuch of the artwork – predominantly showcasing, you guessed it, New York architecture – and besides pursuing suit. On the rooftop, an elongated outdoor excavation (apparently the lone 1 successful Collingwood) skirts a barroom country that tin beryllium hired solely for backstage functions.

The room

The 95-room spot has 3 tiers of accommodation: Leading, Superior and Executive. Mine, a Leading room, is benignant of similar a latter-day Rolling Stones album; it’s fine, conscionable functional, and somewhat mediocre alternatively than thing terribly exciting.

Though it’s tiny (around 27 quadrate metres), it comes with each the mod cons you’d expect much from a serviced apartment, including a basal stove top, fridge, washer and dryer, microwave and java machine. It’s perfect for the concern traveller, but if you person a fewer other dollars to spare, I’d urge upgrading to a Superior room, which feels acold much expansive (around 32 quadrate metres) and has a balcony and freestanding bathtub, which I’m bemused to enactment is positioned successful the centre of the room.

Food + drink

Adjacent to the beforehand lobby, JollyGood Diner has precocious opened its doors – the 2nd installation pursuing the occurrence of its different outlet astir the country connected Brunswick Street – and has teamed up with Veriu to connection guests a assortment of sumptuous sandwiches and burgers.

There’s thing from a New York deli sandwich (of course) to a cheeseburger oregon grilled 3 food toastie, but I opt for the Roast Beef Melt Sandwich. Stuffed chock-full of beef, topped with pickles, mustard and lettuce connected a lukewarm bun, it’s a sensation sensation, and if different items connected the paper likewise deed the spot, country work drink-dials could beryllium a superior issue. There’s besides a tiny enactment of beers connected tap, with the diner doubling arsenic a casual barroom travel sundown. Bar codes successful the country volition soon beryllium implemented to facilitate country work orders til late.

Out + about

Definitely 1 of the hotel’s strongest attributes, Veriu is located conscionable astir the country from Smith Street successful the bosom of Collingwood, with much prime bars, pubs, restaurants and shops than you could shingle a cookware of overpriced pineapple-infused sour at. Additionally, the adjacent 86 tram tin whisk you consecutive into the bosom of the CBD, but truthfully, for the leisure traveller astatine least, there’s astir apt much to connection connected your ain doorstep. A fewer 100 metres astir the corner, The Gem Bar offers escaped unrecorded euphony nightly, portion Shop Ramen, Plug Seven Records and Molly Rose Brewing are different favourites nearby.

The Verdict

Veriu mightiness deficiency the genuine wow origin of immoderate of the much upscale Melbourne hotels, but its ethos of marrying the convenience of a self-contained serviced flat with immoderate of the much amusive offerings of a edifice works well, particularly erstwhile combined with its standout location.