Room: Executive Suite | Size: 40 square metres | Price: From A$311 per night | Guest: Siobhan Plowman
Hotel
One of the most recent luxury hotels to open in the Western Australian capital, the 16-storey InterContinental Perth City Centre is centrally located on the corner of Hay and King streets. The building, originally an office block and then a Rydges Hotel, has been completely rebuilt, with the exception of the white façade and its distinctive rounded-corner windows. Top architects Woods Bagot and design studio Chada have cleverly filled the space with airy, light-filled interiors that give off an elegant, residential feel.
Suite
Our corner Club Executive Suite on the 15th floor felt so spacious it was almost suitable for entertaining. Four large windows with spanning views of the city flooded the space with natural light, emphasised by a multitude of floor-to-ceiling mirrors and glass panels. A standalone feature wall served as both a King-size bedhead and bathroom wall, cleverly extending the bathroom out into the main space while maintaining an element of privacy. The favourite was the large wet room-style bathroom, with both a standalone bathtub and rain shower in a glassed-off area. The Suite also featured a dedicated living space, workstation and large walk-in wardrobe.
Locale
The hotel opens on to Hay Street, right in the heart of Perth’s CBD. His Majesty’s Theatre, home to the West Australia Opera and West Australia Ballet, is right on the hotel’s doorstep, and luxury retailers such as Chanel and Gucci line the adjoining King Street. The surrounding blocks offer a maze of graffiti-filled laneways, teeming with cafes and hidden bars. King’s Park, the buzzing gentrified suburb of Northbridge and the revitalised Elizabeth Quay complex are all within an easy walking distance.
Look and Feel
Opening last October, everything about the hotel is new, with an emphasis on open, light-filled spaces. Plush, sophisticated interiors in hues of grey, taupe and bronze are brightened by metallic touches and large, statement artworks by local artists. There has been an effort to bring the outside in; large, open-air terrace balconies feature vertical gardens, events-focused cooking stations and lounges, while the two hotel restaurants on the ground floor encourage indoor-outdoor dining by spilling on to the main street.
Eat In
The InterContinental Perth’s food offerings are run independently of the hotel, in an attempt to separate them from the common perception of the traditional mundane hotel restaurant. So far this seems to be successful; food-truck concept eatery Graffiti, which operates out of a roller door, has corporates lining up for their morning coffee while casual tapas bar Heno & Rey is surprisingly packed for a Monday afternoon. Upmarket Spanish grill Ascua features an impressive open kitchen and a generous display of aged charcuterie and The Loft Lounge serves alfresco cocktails, pastries and high tea.
Special Touches
Those staying in higher-tiered rooms have access to the dedicated InterContinental Club lounge on the 16th floor. Accessible via their room key, the lounge serves complimentary à la Carte breakfast, afternoon tea and evening canapés and drinks.