By Emma Westwood

There are a few preconceptions that may enter the mind when thinking about Melbourne’s flashy Crown Casino and accompanying hotels and entertainment complex. ‘Understatement’ is certainly not one them.

At Crown Towers – previously, the complex’s only five-star hotel – it’s all about chandeliers, brass railings and thick-pile carpets and drapes; a certain type of opulence that has an Asian high-roller market in mind. When conceiving this latest $300 million hotel, Crown Metropol – a 658 room, organically S-shaped facility, which opened in April this year – the Crown team opted for a more subdued approach to the five-star experience. Their publicity people pitched it to me as ‘contemporary five-star’, something the ladies of Sex and The City would enjoy in Manhattan while sipping on Manhattans.

Certainly, upon driving up to the valet service, I was surprised to find the concierge in a uniform that was hardly the traditional livery. My grandmother would have commented negatively – ‘Those jackets are inside-out! Why don’t they cut their threads?’ – while I’m sure Jean-Paul Gaultier would approve wholeheartedly. As if to emphasise the emphasis on design, in excess of one million dollars has been spent on artworks across this hotel, with each room featuring an original piece – no place for replicas or prints here.

“We had an amazing search travelling Australia and Southeast Asia looking for original artworks, objects d’art and artefacts, scouring antique dealers, auction houses and galleries to find just the right pieces,” explains Jeff Copolov from Bates Smart who engaged a team of 48 architects and interior designers over a 36-month period to put all the pieces of Crown Metropol together.

Of particular note is the large multi-coloured painting in the foyer that was executed on-site by Australian artist Noel Skrzypczak. This piece – featuring large, dripping globules of colour – offers a welcome distraction from the majority of artworks that blend harmoniously into the design, rather than overwhelm it. Even the seven large timber balls, created out of chestnut by Korean artist Jae Lee Hyo that are static but appear as though they could roll along the foyer floor, are comfortably at home in their setting.

“On every level of the accommodation a series of ceramic ‘origami cranes’ by Tim Clarkson is displayed in each lift foyer,” points out Copolov, when identifying some of the artistic detailing. I also make a note myself of the lighted filigree wall inserts on each level offering a pleasing ambient glow. “And in Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, the wall sculpture by David Band and Anita Bell has a delightful organic quality to it.”

Gawkers are currently flocking to sample the tastes of international celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, as conceived by his Melbourne Chef de Cuisine, Josh Emmet. Located on the first floor of Metropol, Maze is a coup for the complex, the first to bear the highly bankable Ramsay name in Australia. In other words, don’t expect to secure a table unless you reserve yours well in advance, or sample Ramsay’s food direct to your door via room service.

Where special things occur at Crown Metropol is up in the air. On the 28th floor, you’ll find the private ‘28’ club lounge, which is only accessible by guests who’ve paid extra for the privilege. Walk from the lifts and your eyes are immediately drawn to the ‘28’ wooden sign that recalls the disco styling of Studio 54 – another artwork in itself. Then there’s a brilliant and dazzling Warholian pop-art piece that marks the entrance.

Inside ‘28’ is where you’re afforded 180-degree views over Melbourne’s city skyline, which, on a clear day, can stretch as far as the Dandenong Ranges on the outskirts of Melbourne. Take it from this sucker, only the magazines on the table are suitable for reading – I attempted to pull one of the blue-spined books from their shelving only to be advised they were glued in as part of another art installation. As Homer Simpson would say, “D’oh!”

A genius of design is the outdoor terrace at ‘28’ – the ultimate smoking balcony in Melbourne. Winds would usually make it impossible to step outside at such a height, but the curved design of Crown Metropol acts as something of shield, which means you can enjoy both the urban views and the fresh air, nothing short of spectacular as night falls and the city lights up. If your feet feel unusually toasty and warm, that’s because there’s underfoot heating to take the chill out of the experience.

Crown Metropol has taken another daring step in making the prime real estate of their 27th floor a space for the day spa, Isika.
Look down from the back windows of ‘28’ and you’ll be taken aback by the huge ‘skirt’ lights of the pool area, which can be seen by the crowds of Etihad Stadium when watching Australian rules football on weekends.

Director of Crown Spas, Roxanne Wild, says Isika can be identified from other Asian spas by its distinctive residential accommodation rooms. “The ten luxe and two studio accommodation rooms, which are located below the spa on level 26, are designed to have a soothing ambience with discreet access to the spa via a private staircase,” explains Wild. “It means the sensory journey is unbroken from spa to room and back again.”

For my visit to Isika, I was encouraged to undergo an ‘Isika Intuitive’ massage, which was a unique treatment, almost impossible for me to explain as, under therapist Giselle’s intuitive hands, I was lulled into a state of catatonia. She utilised very gentle touch to create something more like a therapy session in which emotions were whipped to the surface and then confronted. By the end of it all, I felt like I’d known Giselle for years and was, in fact, so grateful for her assistance that I am keen to return for a follow-up.

“You get glimpses of Melbourne throughout the spa with floor-to-ceiling windows in the nail bar and hair salon, as well as the private treatment rooms,” continues Wild. “This was part of the planning process to incorporate and maximise on Isika’s superb location.”

Massage over, and I was ready for a drink at the ‘28’ bar. I couldn’t help but notice a conspicuous gap in the middle of the bottle display. Curious. “Oh, that’s where the Hennessy was,” explains our bartender. “Such a shame it’s not there, but a high-roller from the Casino purchased it for 15 thousand dollars.” And that’s when I’m awakened from my ‘contemporary five-star’ cocoon. We’re at Crown Casino, after all.

Crown Metropol
Crown Entertainment Complex, Southbank, Melbourne
Phone: +61 3 9292 6211
Email (general enquiries): reservations@crownmetropol.com.au
www.crownmetropol.com.au

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