The Best Business Hotels in Australia 2017
The cornerstones of a great business hotel are the same as those for any successful enterprise. Innovative ideas and an unrelenting focus on customer needs always win the day. You want a hotel that does everything well but has a special air for catering to corporate clients’ desires. Service is paramount but the KPIs also dictate a CBD location, current technology, modern design and amenities, fabulous food and drinks and a brilliant concierge. Once all that’s taken care of, you can get down to business.
Mayfair Hotel, Adelaide
The gargoyles on the façade of Adelaide’s newest five-star hotel signal this is no ordinary establishment. Opened two years ago in a 1934 Neo-Romanesque tower, the Mayfair blends the best of old and new. Heritage styling in its 155 rooms and 15 suites means no two are the same, though all feature custom mattresses and soundproof interiors in a blue-chip location
in the bosom of Queen Adelaide. Executive chef Bethany Finn’s fare at basement restaurant Mayflower marries French flair with South Australia’s top produce, while the rooftop bar, Hennessy, is a hotspot for after-work apéritifs and, if you’re game, Adelaide’s famous pie floater.
Grand Hyatt, Melbourne
The address couldn’t be better: a golden tower lodged between Melbourne’s elite corporate strip, Collins Street, and the hip eating and entertainment hub of Flinders Lane. But the Grand Hyatt doesn’t rest on its laurels. Its generous executive suites are impeccably equipped and come with dazzling skyline views, while its collection of event spaces can cater for up to 700 guests. And its City Club gym, with a rooftop tennis court and indoor pool, is Melbourne’s clubbiest corporate workout. The Grand Hyatt’s breakfast is the best in town and a marvel to behold. There’s also a separate floor for solo female travellers and the long-term storage service lets regular guests store gear between visits. So many thoughtful extras.
Next Hotel, Brisbane
It’s difficult to decide what’s most admirable about Brisbane’s business-friendly Next Hotel. The airport transfers by Tesla? The free minibar items? The high-speed wi-fi across unlimited devices? The fourth-floor “transit lounge” – with computers, sleep pods, lockers, showers and access to the outdoor pool and gym – for use by early birds and late flyers before check-in or after check-out? The complimentary Samsung 7 smartphones that double as room controls and, importantly, give guests a free personal hotspot throughout the city? What will Next think of next?
Como The Treasury, Perth
Perth’s State Buildings are no strangers to deal-making and big money. The 19th-century complex, recently transformed into the 48-room luxury hotel Como The Treasury, was once home to the State Government and Western Australian Treasury. Today, it plays host to a different sort of powerbroker: the cultural and corporate heavyweight seeking exceptional accommodation and service in the CBD. Como places a premium on space and light – the smallest rooms are 50 square metres – and has eight on-site bars and eateries for easy meetings and entertaining. With its Como Shambhala spa, dreamy pool (pictured at top) and excellent rooftop restaurant, Wildflower, Como is an urban sanctuary where business and pleasure meet.
Park Hyatt Sydney
The Park Hyatt’s impeccable harbourside location makes it the Sydney inn of choice for captains of industry, dignitaries and visiting megastars so the staff are adept at handling VIPs’ needs. Service is the strong suit at this 155-room hotel, from 24-hour butlers to the award-winning concierge desk. That said, its rooftop pool and the gun-barrel Opera House views from The Dining Room are also drawcards. Guests could, if they wished, conduct all their affairs on site, given the full-service business centre with multilingual staff, five event spaces and a setting that can’t fail to impress clients.
