SD › Melbourne › Best Hotels › Mercure Melbourne Albert Park Review
Updated: May 13, 2021
Essentials
• Location: Queens Road, Albert Park, facing the lake.
• Hotel website: pullmanalbertpark.com.au
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)3 9529 4300
• Check prices on Booking.com
Sharing space with the high-end Pullman, the midrange Mercure features excellent amenities along with simple but comfortable rooms opposite Albert Park.
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – Good value and motel-style, it faces a park and lake in an inner-city suburb.
Facing the attractive Albert Park and lake in southern Melbourne, this mid-range hotel was recently refurbished and now represents excellent value. All types of rooms are functional and comfortable, while the split-level lofts are especially appealing. Accommodations facing the park are booked months ahead for the Formula 1 Grand Prix in March when the excellent soundproofing will not be adequate. As the Mercure shares facilities with the adjoining and higher-rated Pullman hotel, guests can utilize better amenities than normally expected, including a heated pool (often not offered even at five-stars in downtown). Another advantage is the plentiful, secure, and reasonably-priced parking on-site. Only a few tram stops from the city center and St Kilda Beach.
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Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – The Location
Shares the same reception and amenities as the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park, but rooms are in separate buildings.
- Area: Overlooks a scenic park and lake which is somehow transformed into a Formula 1 racetrack in March each year. Easy tram trip to the city center and inner-city beach at St Kilda (2 km), which is great for a pleasant walk or ride by rented bicycle (see below).
- Address: 65 Queens Road, Albert Park (sometimes called South Melbourne). Faces Albert Park and lake in the inner southeast suburbs less than 5 km from the city center. The reception area is in the lobby of the adjoining Pullman hotel.
- Nearest Transport: Bus – Wesley College (500m), Tram – High Street/St Kilda Rd (400m), Metro – South Yarra Station (300m).
- How to Get There: Taxis to/from the airport (30 km) cost around A$80. The handy SkyBus that links the airport to many parts of the city center and inner suburbs does not stop in this area. For about A$30, Starbus shuttles (5 am-10 pm daily) pick up and drop off passengers directly at the hotel door.
- Handy to: Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix (see below).
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – The Basics
- Guests: Mostly business people, and car-racing fanatics in (usually) March.
- Pets: Not allowed.
- Views: The few rooms facing the front overlook the park, lake, and busy road, and are well-soundproofed. Most, however, face other windows within the Mercure hotel annex.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Not expected (or provided) at this sort of mid-priced hotel in the suburbs.
- Kitchens: Some lofts feature modest kitchenettes.
- Extras: The Connectivity Lounge is a useful meeting place and business center.
- Parking: Valet and self-parking available in a secure area underneath the hotel building. Well-priced.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +61 (0)3 9529 4300
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: pullmanalbertpark.com.au
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – Amenities
- Pool: The indoor heated pool is a decent size.
- Spa: None, but not offered at most business-oriented hotels in Melbourne either.
- Fitness Center: In the Pullman wing of the hotel, the large Fit Lounge is well-equipped and features a sauna.
- For Families: Baby-sitting.
- Other Facilities: Dry-cleaning. Money exchange. Business center. Hertz car rental office.
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – Food and Drink
- Restaurants: Windows Restaurant – Offers buffet or a la carte breakfast (usually for an extra cost) and an extended menu for dinner. Overlooks the lake and specializes in contemporary Australian cuisine. Regular seafood buffets and ‘steak nights’. • Café – Simply named for sandwiches, salads, pastries, coffee, and tea.
- Bar: Atrium Bar and Lounge – Sociable meeting place for local workers. Exotic cocktails, extensive wine list, appealing happy hours, and tasty snacks.
- Breakfast: Not included but can be discounted when booking. Otherwise, pay on the day.
- Room Service: Available 24 hours.
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – Rooms
- Room Types: Mercure Superior King Rooms • Mercure Superior King Lakeview Rooms • Mercure Premium Rooms • Mercure Privilege Lakeview Rooms • Mercure Premium Family Rooms • Mercure Superior One-Bedroom Lakeview Suites • Mercure Superior Lofts • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: No smoking allowed in the rooms or public areas; allowed only in a dedicated area outside.
- Best Room: The split-level lofts are twice the size of the standard rooms. Separate floors for the living room and bedroom, and some feature kitchenettes.
- For Families: Some rooms can fit in extra single beds and have connecting doors. The funky lofts can accommodate 3 and feature kitchenettes. Best are the special Family Rooms with plenty of space for a family of 4.
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – Local Transport
- Walking & Cycling: The 5 km path around the lake in the park across the road is perfect for strolling, jogging, and cycling.
- Public Transport: Plenty of trams travel up and down St Kilda Road, which is one block east of the hotel. Trams only take about 10 minutes to the city center and the beach and amenities at St Kilda.
- Taxis, Ride-shares, & Car Rental: Ask the concierge to arrange a taxi. An office for Hertz car rental is on the ground floor of the hotel. Uber and Ola operate all over Melbourne.
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – What’s Nearby?
The limited range of amenities in the immediate area includes some daytime cafés in front of offices along St Kilda Road, one block to the east. Otherwise, take a tram to St Kilda (2 km).
Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars
Along Fitzroy Street before the center of St Kilda, and within walking distance (less than 2.5 km) of the hotel, are:
- Leo’s Spaghetti Bar – Casual, affordable, and often busy with locals. Well-loved for over 50 years. (1.5 km).
- The Prince (Prince of Wales) Hotel – Long-term favorite for affordable meals, elevated sea views, and quality bands on most nights. (1.5 km).
Easy to find along the St Kilda esplanade are:
- Hotel Esplanade – Renowned across the city for its huge bars, street-side tables, and live bands. (2 km).
- Republica St Kilda Beach – Summertime hangout alongside the beach (but open all year). Hugely popular at sunset and for daily food and drink specials. Ideal for families. (2 km).
The busiest and trendiest part of St Kilda is along Acland Street (where most trams finish):
- Vineyard Restaurant – Lovely corner position. Contemporary Australian cuisine, outdoor tables, and live music. (2 km).
- Abbey Road Café – Funky setting, fab service, and daily specials. Plenty of seats inside and along the sidewalk. (2.5 km).
Nearby Shops
A few minimarts along St Kilda Road, 1 block east of the hotel (300m). Great selection of shops in a compact area along Acland Street (2 km) which finishes as a pedestrian plaza. St Kilda is easily accessible by tram, as is the city center with all its arcades, malls, and markets.
Nearby Attractions
Directly opposite the hotel, Albert Park features the 18-hole championship Albert Park Golf Course, a jogging track, and the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre with its public swimming pools. The park is also home to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Mercure Melbourne Albert Park – The Hotel
The Mercure hotel is in Albert Park, an inner southeast suburb of Melbourne.
The Mercure adjoins the Pullman hotel but is in a separate building.
The reception area for guests of the Mercure is in the adjacent Pullman hotel.
The Mercure is along Queens Road, less than 5 km from the city center.
The lobby area within the adjoining Pullman hotel is instantly appealing.
The lobby is expansive and features a contemporary décor.
Sharing the same facilities with Pullman, such as the indoor heated pool, means the Mercure offers better amenities than expected at this sort of mid-priced hotel.
The well-equipped Fit Lounge is within the adjoining Pullman hotel.
Near the lobby is the spacious business center and meeting room, which all guests can use.
The Windows Restaurant offers a buffet breakfast to guests (usually for an extra charge).
The furnishings and décor at the Windows Restaurant in the adjoining Pullman hotel are contemporary and likable.
Appropriately named, the restaurant provides plenty of windows facing the park and lake over the road.
Also at the lobby level, Café is popular for coffee, tea, sandwiches, and salads.
As expected at a mid-range business-oriented hotel, the standard rooms at the Mercure are simply furnished.
Standard rooms are unfussy but certainly functional, spacious, and good value.
Accommodations at the front of the building facing the park and lake across the road are booked months ahead for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Views from the front include the shady park and extensive lake.
The Mercure and adjoining Pullman hotel are along Queens Road, an area of offices and apartments within an inner-city suburb.
The road through Albert Park in front of the hotel is part of the circuit for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
A track for cycling, jogging, and walking extends around the lake for 5 km.
The broad Albert Park is a popular place for local residents and workers to relax.
Also within the park across the road from the hotel is a playground.
Just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel is the Albert Park Golf Course.
Only one block east of the hotel is St Kilda Road. Along it, trams frequently head to the city center and beach area at St Kilda.
Within a short tram trip along Fitzroy Street in St Kilda West are numerous terrific bistros, including Leo’s Spaghetti Bar.
Easy to reach by tram from the hotel, The Prince (Prince of Wales) Hotel in St Kilda offers fine dining and great bands most nights.
The Hotel Esplanade in St Kilda is renowned across Melbourne for its huge bars and live music.
Also along the foreshore at St Kilda is the popular bistro and bar, Republica.
At the end of most tram services to St Kilda, only 10 minutes from the hotel, is the lovely Vineyard Restaurant.
Along Acland Street, just past the Vineyard Restaurant, is the funky Abbey Road Café.
St Kilda offers boardwalks for cycling and plenty of bars and cafés, though the beach is not that great for swimming.
Also only 10 minutes by tram from the hotel is the center of Melbourne.
Every few minutes, trams link St Kilda Road (one block from the hotel) to all the amenities in downtown Melbourne.
The cheapest way to travel directly between the airport and hotel is by Starbus shuttle service.
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