I had the most amazing time at Pan Pacific hotel in Melbourne for my 22nd birthday long weekend! Amidst the bustling night life scene, and picturesque day time views, Pan Pacific provided my fiance, and I a memorable four days we'll treasure.
What's been happening?
But firstly before I dive into this review, it's time to address the elephant in the room. It's been an incredible few months since I've written a blog post, and I have been posting more spaced apart for several months. This is due to me getting promoted at Koala from Social Media Manager to the Growth Marketer for Australia in March. It's been a more intense, and full workload coupled with the full time course they've placed me in to certify me for the role.
Now back to the hotel review!
Checking In
Due to my fiance, and I both having full time office jobs we had to fly out from Sydney late, and check in late. We landed in Melbourne at 10:11pm, and checked in at the eye watering 10:43pm with our bags in hand, feet aching for a seat, and stomachs ready for our favourite Melbourne treat (24hour ramen).
As our Uber drove into the front of the Pan Pacific hotel, we were immediately welcomed to the sight of real 5 star hotel quality - a high ceiling lobby, grand lounges, one of a kind art displayed across the walls, concierge waiting to assist, and well mannered staff in their finest suits ready to check us in.
After a short exchange of paperwork, and run down of the opportunities we could experience from the sponsored stay, we were given our hotel keys, and headed up to level 17 to our Pacific Club King Room.
The Suite
The Pacific Club King Room is truly a suite to book when you want a romantic weekend away with someone you love. At 38spm, they have used the space perfectly to ensure you will have more than enough space to move around, put your shopping, lounge overlooking the Melbourne skyline, sprawl under the covers of the king bed, or get lost in a bottle of bubbly while soaking in the bath tub.
When we entered our suite, we placed our luggage in the suitcase storage, hung up our coats, put on the plush bathrobes, and dug into the awaiting chocolate cake in bed.
With complimentary WIFI, and a large selection of movies, we were able to unwind for a while before getting ready for some dinner, and then hit the nearby casino.
The Perfect Location
If you've ever wanted to wake up to the beauty of the glistening Yarra River, or fall asleep to the gentle sparkling of Melbourne's night life (putting Sydneys to shame), then stay at the Pan Pacific.
For our entire stay we kept our curtains open so we would never miss a chance to look out, and just enjoy the beauty that is Melbourne. Wherever we went (and we preferred to go on foot to not miss a step!) was a vibrant metropolis of unique shopping experiences, lively bars, bestselling coffee blends, and mixtures of cultures being expressed in some form. The walls were never bland but coated in the colourful street art that Melbourne has become well known for.
A few steps from the hotel door is Melbourne's DFO were we could spend a whole day (or two) looking for bargains on current styles, and topping up our wardrobe. We had packed by a cold, overcast weather forecast but Melbourne brought us sunshine, and a pleasant breeze that long weekend.
And just a short Uber drive, or cycle away was Melbourne CBD where you'll find our favourite ramen place Shujinko.
The Dock 37 Breakfast Buffet
As a club member, we were provided two breakfast options each day: either a large assortment of options at the buffet downstairs in Dock 37, or an intimate breakfast in the Club Lounge where our meals were made to order.
As lovers of food, we of course tried both.
The buffet is definitely something to wear stretchy pants to, and get ready to fuel yourself up for the day. The buffet was brimming with the largest assortment of breakfast options you could choose!
Want eggs? What kind - they'll make it for you!
Thirsty? There's a vast assortment of fresh juice, r you can tell your waiter what coffee you'd like!
Want something light like some parties or cereal? There's two whole tables to choose from?
Waffles? French Toast? Deli food? Roast Potatoes? Bacon?!
You name it.
Just put your bags down by your table, and help yourself!
The Club Lounge
Now upstairs in the members only lounge is a whole other experience. While downstairs is full of families, and couples chatting away ready to tackle the day, upstairs was very intimate.
The furniture was specially picked out, and arranged so that each grouping of tables, and chairs was it's own little world. As we sat in our - now I can only describe it as a throne - we ate in peaceful silence watching the people of Melbourne go about their day while we helped ourselves to the most delicious breakfast.
Dock 37's Dinner Menu
As we worked, and then arrived at nearly 11pm on my actual birthday, we celebrated the day after to a beautiful dinner courtesy of Dock 37. Renowned for their excellent service, and delicious dishes, we were eager to try their menu!
Dressed in our casino clothes (a black jumpsuit, and heels for me, and a button up, and casual suit for him), we were greeted by the most polite hostess who took our order. He chose a medium rare steak, and bourbon on the rocks while I picked a salmon filet, and French Martini.
We watched as eager guests got to look into the Pan Pacific wine cellar looking the restaurant, happy couples digging into their meals, and what was only a few minutes of wait, we received our meals.
His steak was cooked to perfection, and my salmon almost melted in my mouth. Eagerly we ate our meals, and then sat back to sip on our drinks, and reminisce about our 7 years together, and our upcoming wedding.
When we were done, we thanked the staff for their hospitality, and hit the casino for some baccarat.
The Customer Service
You can have bad experiences, and you can have good experiences when going to a hotel. But at Pan Pacific Melbourne you can only have great experiences!
Every time we passed a staff member, they wished me happy birthday, asked if we needed anything, and wished us a good day. They even got me a birthday cake! Our suite was always well kept, always seated in a prime spot during the complimentary breakfasts, and poured generous glasses at the complimentary supper of canapés and champagne in the Club Lounge.
I didn't expect to do much for my birthday this year but I'm so happy I had this incredible opportunity to visit Melbourne again but most importantly, to be whisked away to the Pan Pacific hotel with the love of my life.
A big thank you to the team at Pan Pacific Melbourne for providing me a birthday to remember!