82 UNITED PLACES BOTANIC GARDENS, MELBOURNE,VIC
At this urban oasis for design-conscious travellers a stone’s throw from the Melbourne CBD, it’s hard to know whether to stay cocooned in your suite or explore the city’s botanic gardens, river and NGV on your doorstep.
WITH A COFFEE SHOP on every corner in neighbourhoods that invite you to become part of their fabric, Melbourne is the kind of city that makes you feel like a local within no time. And I love that feeling of familiarity I get from revisiting time and again. But I also love that it can surprise and reveal new sides to me, as it does when I check into United Places (unitedplaces.com.au). This small and luxurious hotel is an urban oasis set on the edge of the city’s Royal Botanic Gardens in a village precinct I’ve never explored before.
Inspired by the minimalist aesthetic of Brutalism and anchored by sandblasted concrete and bronze trim, this most contemporary of hotels cuts a sleek profile on Domain Road in contrast to the elegant Art Deco architecture of surrounding South Yarra and leafy aspect of the botanic gardens. Inside my garden suite – where the sunny terrace overlooks those parklands – the clean lines are offset by rich materials and soft furnishings such as the sumptuous velvet drapes that cocoon my sleeping quarters at night with the light touch of a button; cleverly integrated tech, such as this motorised curtain track, elevate United Places to another level. A concierge who delivers a platter of fresh fruit and pastries as I’m settling in, Le Labo Santal 33 amenities and artisanal additions made in collaboration with local and likeminded companies (coffee pods courtesy of ST. ALi and organic Loom towels and textiles) up the ante even more.
So it’s a hard call to tear myself away. Matilda 159, the hatted destination diner from Melbourne chef-restaurateur extraordinaire Scott Pickett that’s located just downstairs, is a good start (although you can also order room service from here). As is the private guided forest therapy session through the botanic gardens, part of
