Girl’s Stay at the Swanston Hotel

To mark the start of spring, a girl’s shopping trip to Melbourne was in order. Kicking off last Thursday we checked into the centrally located and stylish The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure for 4 days of shopping, eating and living it up – timed perfectly with the commencement of Melbourne Spring  Fashion Week running from 1st – 8th September.

The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure was the ideal place to relax after a long day of shopping. The room was luxurious and peaceful, with a huge wide screen TV and alllll the Foxtel channels. Once in the room, the city outside could not be heard at all despite being right in the centre of town.

We stepped outside to China Town for dinner on the first night, and found an amazing BYO dumpling restaurant called Shanghai Village. It was great being able to walk home within a few minutes after venturing out!

Our agenda didn’t change much from day-to-day: buffet breakfast at the hotel, grabbing a takeaway coffee at Sensory lab, hitting the shops at Bourke Street Mall, Emporium and Melbourne Central, then finishing with cocktails at Cocoon Bar located within the hotel.

Melbourne Fashion Week festivities kicked off from Friday, and we ducked into the American Express Lounge on Bourke Street Mall available to card holders. They were serving bubbles, snacks and gelato, as well as giving complimentary makeovers! There were also deals across lots of stores in conjunction with MSFW.

Melbourne never fails to disappoint with its mix of local and international retailers, all on the doorstep of The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure. The department stores like Myer and David Jones give Sydney a run for their money, with a much larger offering on the women’s fashion floors. Some of my favourite retailers in Melbourne (department stores aside) include Life With Bird, Jo Mercer and H&M (the most amazing H&M in the country!), and on the other end of the spectrum Rag & Bone, Acne and Green With Envy Boutique. Debenhams from the UK is soon to open its first store which is exciting!

If you’re thinking of heading to Melbourne in the coming months or for future fashion weeks, The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure offers a great price, amenities and is the only place to stay for a shopping experience like no other with all major stores and retailers right on their doorstep. Overall The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure made for an amazing stay in Melbourne!

Thanks to The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure for partnering on this post.