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connoisseur’s choice
Travel & Resorts
From Perth we flew to Melbourne and were very pleased with our accommodation at the Crown Towers, which sits on the southern bank of the Yarra River running through the heart of Melbourne. The property has been voted the best large luxury hotel in Australia. Rooms are well appointed and the property boasts a significant amount of quality retail, restaurants, a spa and a casino. Plus, it’s a reasonable walk to the core of the city. We had the pleasure of trying two of the restaurants in the property. First was Nobu, a new style Japanese restaurant, in which actor Robert De Niro has an interest, which was superb. As it happens, De Niro was in Perth at the same time, opening the latest Nobu. Plus, the Atlantic, which as the name would suggest, has a focus on seafood. Again, we were most impressed. One of the benefits of staying at the Crown is the opportunity to access the Crown Towers Crystal Club, offering buffet breakfast, afternoon tea and pre-dinner drinks, plus a comfortable lounge with internet. Melbourne is a large city which spreads in all directions, but in the downtown core, heritage buildings have been maintained and there is a network of laneways running between the buildings that lend a unique aspect to the city. These laneways are best experienced with a guided tour by Fiona Sweetman and her Hidden Secrets Tours. Her understanding of the history of the community and knowledge of the maze makes for a great day. Hidden amongst the buildings are numerous boutique specialty restaurants, some advertising standing room only, meaning they are so small as to not be able to provide seating. The walls of the laneways are covered in graffiti art provided by artists selected by committee. It’s not unusual for clothing designers to stage showings of their new offerings in the eclectic atmosphere provided. The city is remarkably pedestrian-friendly and the variety of retail and restaurant offerings would take months to completely explore. 22 Good Life Connoisseur | Summer 2012
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