Review: Melbourne Marriott Docklands adds style to the city’s waterfront

Introduction

Marriott Melbourne Docklands reflects the modern architecture of the city’s cosmopolitan corner and is home to some of the brand’s newest and most in vogue initiatives and facilities. 

Among these is Australia’s first M Club Lounge – Marriott’s upmarket and exclusive hub for busy corporate travellers.

Executive Traveller recently put the hotel to the test during a recent visit to Melbourne.

Location & Impressions

For the bustling metropolis we all know Melbourne to be, the Docklands corner appeared during our visit in March 2022 to have much of its commercial recovery still to come.

Prior to the pandemic, Docklands’ neatly aligned mid-rise office towers would have workers dashing about in all directions throughout the day, bound for their coffee, lunch or perhaps a cursory browse through the Waterfront City retailers.

Soaring above was the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel - a landmark in the skyline easily spotted while driving from the airport.

Docklands is slowly seeing more workers trickle back to a once-energetic corner of Melbourne.

Our visit saw both standing eerily quiet, largely deserted by the Monday to Friday professional crowd, many now conditioned to work from home.

Melbourne Marriott Docklands sits on Waterfront Way, on the same block as Waterfront City and just a few steps from the shopping mall’s many restaurants and attractions. The hotel is about a minute’s walk from three different tram routes which wind through the city.

Room

The 189 rooms at Marriott Docklands span eight levels and vary in size depending on category, but not by much. In fact, Deluxe rooms are only four square metres smaller than premium M Club rooms.

Inside, you’ll find a modern and bright design with either a king bed or twin doubles clad in crisp white linen, juxtaposed with bright orange chairs and a marble-topped dining table.

A small sofa sits to the side of the room and perpendicular to the television, not parallel.

Rooms come with either a king bed or two doubles.

As seems to be the case with many hotels these days, business travellers will need to utilise a small dining table for their work as there’s no dedicated desk.

That said, you’ll have no complaints about the WiFi service. Our test unearthed one of the fastest connection speeds you’re likely to find at any hotel in Australia at more than 150Mbps – about three times Australia’s average. Seriously.

To the left is a pillar which unfortunately used significant space in the room.

Unfortunately, the building’s curvaceous exterior resulted in a rather unsightly pillar intersecting our room and virtually consuming the available space next to a bedside ottoman. While it’s likely your room won’t contain this, be mindful that some do.

Work

Regular guests of Marriott and business travellers will be excited at the Australian debut of M Club – the brand’s upmarket 24/7 lounge which is now open at Marriott Docklands.

Located on Level 3, access to M Club Melbourne is reserved for Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador tiered members of Marriott Bonvoy; guests booking M Club rooms or those paying daily access fees at reception.

M Club Melbourne is an intimate space with an eight-seat boardroom, to which access of two hours can be pre-booked with club staff.

Australia's first M Club is ready for the return of regular business travellers.

The space features a kitchen which serves breakfast daily when hotel capacity reaches a minimum threshold, along with self-serve snacks during the day and a selection of canapes in the early evening.

An adjacent boardroom can be booked for free by M Club guests for two hours on request.

If you’re planning on working from M Club for the day, make sure you grab a seat along the wall as this is where the power points are located. There are other café-style dining tables however you’ll need to source an extension cord to reach an outlet, with no others nearby.

The canapes selection was welcome even if there weren't many people there to enjoy them.

M Club Melbourne has all the ingredients to be a popular retreat when corporate travel levels return to pre-pandemic levels, however during our visit, the club was a little underwhelming.

Eat

Including the M Club there are five dining options inspired by the culinary expertise of the Peter Rowland Group.

Archer's is the hotel's main all-day restaurant.

The hotel’s main restaurant, Archers, sits within a vaulted arch on the ground floor and adjacent to the Corsia coffee shop, open daily for breakfast and dinner. Our very generous serving of Eggs Benedict was full of flavour, backed by a coffee any connoisseur would be proud of in a city renowned for its java culture.

Corsia's coffee shop sits just near the lobby with its own cafe-style seating.

Also on the ground floor is Ada’s – a compact lobby bar worthy of a refreshment if you’re a little early to check-in.

For a bite with a view, head to the rooftop pool where dishes from the room service menu can be delivered to your lounge, if you can get the table QR codes to work.

Sunset Pool Bar ensures you don't have far to go for a fresh drink when using the pool area.

Just inside from the pool is the Sunset House Bar, which features a wide selection of beverages but a disappointing small plate selection that offers little more than a snack.

Relax

Marriott’s interior designers have done a fantastic job with the rooftop pool – undoubtedly the property’s leading light.

The semi-circular natatorium features an accessible entrance at one side and a warm spa at the other. It’s not a big pool and due to its shape, it’s a recreational pool and isn’t designed for exercise, so you’ll be hard pressed swimming laps.

The semi-circular pool is great for relaxation - not so much for swimming laps.

If exercise is what you’re after, there’s an excellent gym on the same level fitted with the latest cardio and weight equipment overlooking the city skyline.

The fitness centre overlooks the centre of the Docklands precinct.

As Marriott Melbourne Docklands is a city hotel designed primarily for business travellers, there isn’t much in the way of recreational facilities but if you’d like to relax in your room, connecting your device to the TV to stream your content is simple.

The Verdict

Perhaps the biggest thing letting down Marriott Melbourne Docklands now is its surroundings. The once-vibrant enclave is a relic of its past self but in time, this will hopefully return if local businesses start requiring their workers to return to the office.

Marriott Docklands' lobby is an inviting space with a small bar while waiting to check-in.

When they do and corporate travel returns, expect M Club to become everything it has been touted – an efficient hub for business backed by rotating snack, sandwich and canape platters, daily hot breakfast and a fridge that hopefully won’t be locked (as we discovered).

Expect the precinct to come alive once more, and Marriott Melbourne Docklands will be ready.

The author stayed as a guest of Marriott Melbourne Docklands.