Melbourne is a great city for a weekend getaway and to get the most out of your time away, you need a good place to stay. There are so many things to see in Melbourne to keep you going all weekend and the Holiday Inn Express Southbank Melbourne gives you access to all the very best Melbourne attractions.
Most of Melbourne’s attractions move out of the city and into areas like Southbank, South Wharf, East Melbourne, and the Carlton Gardens area.
Holiday Inn Express Southbank Melbourne
We have stayed in Melbourne a number of times at Holiday Inn Express at Southbank. This is one of the best Melbourne tourist class hotels and is just metres from the Southbank promenade in Melbourne.
1. The location of Holiday Inn Express Southbank Melbourne in Melbourne City
A five-minute walk from Holiday Inn Express puts you on Southbank.
As we just mentioned, Melbourne’s Southbank precinct runs from the Princess Bridge to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Southbank is the dining and entertainment area of Melbourne, thanks to Crown Casino.
There are restaurants like Nobu, Belgium Beer House, and The Oyster Bar and Grill, just to name a few. Crown Casino has the biggest gaming floor in the Southern Hemisphere, plus bars, cinema, bowling, karaoke, and more.
2. The rooms at the Holiday Inn
One thing you can rely on at Holiday Inn Express Southbank Melbourne is comfort and quality. You can walk into a Holiday Inn room in Melbourne, Phuket, or Paris and know that it will be neat and comfortable. Your room will have a choice of soft and firm pillows, a comfortable mattress, TV, Wi-Fi, and a range of free toiletries for you to use.
Soft fluffy towels to dry yourself, tea and coffee in the room to start your day. These best hotel rooms in Melbourne are available for couples and families, fitting up to four people in comfort.
Southbank Holiday Inn is the perfect comfort level for a Melbourne getaway. You will find most of the rooms have great views. In the two times, we have stayed there, we have had a view of the National Gallery of Victoria with the MCG in the distance once and the CBD Yarra River the next time.
Read more: 23 spectacular Melbourne tourist attractions you can’t miss!
3. Free breakfast at Holiday Inn Express
All Holiday Inn Express locations have complimentary breakfast for guests. Don’t expect a full buffet like Holiday Inn flagship hotels, but you will get an excellent choice to start your day. The limited buffet at Holiday Inn Express Southbank Melbourne usually consists of eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit, and as much tea and coffee as you can. The stylish breakfast area at Melbourne H. I Express features tables and booths with big-screen TVs on the wall (volume down, showing subtitles) and charging points for your phones, cameras, and laptops.
4. Bar, balcony, and communal area at this Southbank hotel
There is a bar that serves alcohol, soft drinks, tea, coffee, and snacks. The beauty of the bar area is that you can have a drink inside the communal area, or you can venture outside onto the large balcony with outstanding views of the Melbourne Skyline and The Yarra River. I was lucky enough to see hot air balloons floating down the Yarra River. Inside, there are plenty of tables, chairs, and couches for you to sit and chat, use your phone, or plan your day.
The bar area is next to the reception so that you can access it 24 hours a day. If you’re an early riser, you can head down and grab a barista-made coffee at any time of the day. If you stay for more than a few days, you will find Southbank, Melbourne, HI. It has a launderette. Not many hotels feature launderettes for guests these days. Most Melbourne hotels will want to charge you a small fortune to get anything laundered. For a few gold coins, you can freshen up your clothes and look and smell great for Melbourne days out.
5. Access and parking at the Holiday Inn Express Southbank Melbourne
Not all hotels have amazing Melbourne parking options, however, parking is a breeze at Holiday Inn Southbank. You can choose Holiday Inn Express parking for $25 a night. Alternatively, you can park 100 meters away at Eureka Parking on weekends for $18 for 48 hours.
If you are coming to Melbourne by train, you will not need to worry about parking. Flinders St Station is just 300 meters away from the hotel. If you are flying into Melbourne you can grab a taxi, private transfer or the Skybus.
The skybus goes to Southern Cross station, where you can grab a city train to Flinders Street Station and access the hotel from there. We think Holiday Inn Southbank is one of the best mid-range hotels in Melbourne for a stay.
There are not many Melbourne accommodation options that offer stays with facilities and locations like this South bank hotel. It really is a great value for money accommodation in Victoria option.
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Best things to do in Melbourne during your stay
Melbourne is an amazing city to spend a few days or even a few weeks in, and there are plenty of things to do. Below, we have some Melbourne recommendations for you:
- Shopping – Melbourne is a great place for shopping, with options ranging from boutiques to markets and shopping centres. Head to DFO South Wharf, Melbourne Central, and the Emporium for shopping centres. Queen Victoria Market and the South Melbourne Market are great for variety and search out the lane ways and arcades for boutique shopping in Melbourne.
- Eating – As previously mentioned, Crown Casino offers a wide range of restaurants for you. If you’re looking for more international food, try Belgium Beer House, Little Chinatown, or the incredible Dear BBQ Buffet for all the Korean food you can eat. Why not take to the water and have dinner while cruising the Yarra River.
- Attractions – The nearby Victorian Arts Centre is one of the best in Australia, while Lume has different exhibitions throughout the year. For sports lovers, a tour of the MCG or taking in a football, cricket, basketball, or soccer match is a great option. The Sealife Aquarium is good for families while 4D Artvo Museum is popular, and the Old Melbourne Goal takes you back to Colonial times. The tallest building in Melbourne The Eureka Sky Deck gives you a bird’s eye view of the city, and the Free Melbourne City Circle tram will show you the sights of the city.
We hope this has given you a good overview of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Melbourne. It is certainly a hotel we will stay at again and again when we visit Melbourne in the future. It provides a value for money stay, the location is great, and the facilities are first class.
We hope this article from us here at Explore Victoria has inspired you to embark on your adventure in Victoria, Australia, from popular caravan parks and pristine beaches to drives along the Great Ocean Road. Enjoy weekends away on the Mornington Peninsula and discover the cosmopolitan charm of Melbourne, Victoria, with a range of experiences for every traveller who wants to visit Victoria.
Whether you’re drawn to the rugged beauty of the Grampians, the cultural richness of Ballarat, or the autumn colours of Bright and Northern Victoria, there’s no shortage of hidden gems waiting to be discovered in Victoria.
Even if you love exploring Gippsland or driving the Great Alpine Road, Victoria has something special for you, and there is so much more for you to discover. If you are looking for more incredible and best places to visit in Melbourne or more travel in Victoria destinations, Explore Victoria has some more articles below for you to check out. Expand your horizons and get out and about in Victoria, Australia, for an unforgettable experience.
If you have an idea, attraction, or top spot in Victoria, please comment or email us at contact@explorevictoriaaustralia.com.