Ever walk into a venue - whether it be a gallery, a coffee shop, a furniture store, I don't know... a dental office - and think to yourself in punctuated emphatic-ness: "I. Want. To. Live. Here."? Well let me fill you in on some good news: you *can* live (or at least stay, depending on your budget) at The Blackman. Not only is it exceptionally easy on the eyes, but it also has all of the amenities of a home-away-from-home. No joke, the mini-kitchen, patio, shower, balcony, TV, bookshelf, work space and bed even made me quiver with amenity-envy. I especially loved spotting the Alice In Wonderland touches around the hotel - from the 'Eat Me' magnets on the mini fridge to the small mirrored bunnies along the hallways and of course the Richmond prints on every wall. The entire theme was exceptionally well pulled-off. Though outside of Melbourne's CBD, the location is well connected by tram and the two restaurants downstairs (Classico and Fleur) along with the 24-hour room service menu and in room kitchen leave you little to want. My only star-altering request would be free in-room wifi. But overall, this is an exceptional accommodation and I would recommend it for both swank staycation get-aways and corporate travel alike. You can't help but feel stylish rocking up to a spot like this. read more

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Staying in an Art Series hotel is a treat from the moment you step into the lobby. I'm very much a fan of The Blackman and the Art Series group in general. The (first world) problem with a room this comfortable is that you want to spend lots of time in it rather than being out and about with your work colleague. Still, it makes coming back to a hotel room at night less sterile and more like coming home. I tried hard, as I drafted this review, to think about what it is exactly that makes an Art Series hotel experience so exceptional and five star. The only thing I could come up with was: they do the basics so well and with such grace that the rest takes care of itself. Their beds are some of the best I've slept on in hotels. What is usually a restless nights rest for me in other hotels is a sound and rejuvenating sleep here. The room is dark enough at night to actually sleep. There's little to no outside noise or noise from other rooms. There's beautiful Australian art work surrounding you. There's EVO products in the bathroom. Want me to go on? Suffice to say, I think I've found a place that feels like a home away from home. read more

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It's the second time I stayed here, again a big welcome greeting from the front desk. We received a bottle of sparking wine as a surprise present for my husband's birthday. Hotel rooms are well decorated, nice bathroom products, top location. We totally enjoyed our stay. read more

Art Series-the Blackman - Hotels Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Beautiful boutique hotel which is part of the art series collection. We stayed in a beautiful balcony suite, and were lucky enough to be given a corner suite with 2 balconies one small one and one massive one with 4 sunloungers and a table for 4 with a nice view (room 1305) The bed was super comfy and the give you robes which I love. We also had a mini kitchenette with full size fridge. The hotel also has 2 restaurants, a Italian pizza /pasta wine bar and a French bakery /coffee brunch spot. There is artwork throughout the property and the style is beautiful and unique, the also offer bike and smart car hire. I like the little quirky touches like the msg on the amenities in the bathroom, the experience dice in the bedroom and the fact the offer art tours of the hotel Would recommend for a good boutique hotel located halfway between chapel st and CBD. read more

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Modern looking hotel, checked in while still on the flight in - for an extra $30 we were able to check in early (11am) which was a great relief after a 24 hour journey to get here! More details when we have rested up a bit and can absorb read more

Art Series-the Blackman - View from our balcony early morning NYE 2014/15 - Hotels Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

It was great to tick another Art Series Hotel off my list when staying at The Blackman. As expected with the Art series, your room (we had the executive suite) is super clean, spacious, equipped with toiletries, spa bath and a marvellously comfortable huge King bed. Art by Charles Blackman adorns every wall, every corridor on every floor. Truly wonderful. It's a bona fide 5 star hotel. That is where is it ends for me..... Foxtel movies are available at a cost, Mini Bar prices are extraordinary, Room service menu is limited and a surcharge of $5 just for bringing the room to your room is added. The Blackman itself is positioned in a place where there is literally nothing to do. (We stayed on a rainy day) I may sound finicky because I have just returned from a 3 week holiday in Bali where everywhere I stayed was 5+ stars and my accommodation had all the bells and whistles but I just found my stay at the Blackman was not enjoyable at all. At least my list has another tick. read more

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I first heard about The Blackman via their seminal "Steal A Banksy" ad campaign, where guests were encouraged to try and steal a Banksy original without being caught by hotel staff. "That sounds like one whack hotel, yo" I thought to myself (my internal monologue has the voice of a 70's Blaxploitation TV character, I don't know why). So next time I was in Melbs I hit that shizz up, and man, did it live up to it's billing as an Art Series Hotel (there are two (2) others). There was A FREAKING PERSONALISED WELCOME MESSAGE FOR ME ON THE PLASMA TV SCREEN. You have no idea what seeing your name on TV is like. Finally! After all these years! All those demo tapes! This, ladies and germs, is what vindication feels like. And it feels gooood, like hot wax on a bare chest good. My standard room had 2 giant balconies, a pair of deck chairs, more big heavy full colour art books than a local library and a wine stain on the floor that wasn't there when I checked in. Whoops. The staff are young, cool and pat-a-dog friendly, the cafe and restaurant adjoining either side of reception are smashing, and the Blackman art itself? Well, let's just say that if I could have gotten one down off the wall and rubbed myself against it, I would have. read more

Last time we stayed here, we were given an upgrade to a top-level suite overlooking the parks below... Wow! Talk about an amazing view. Add to that the quirkiness of the art in each of the rooms, the comfy beds, and the stellar location. This is definitely my favorite hotel in Melbourne. read more

A 5-star hotel with amenities more like a serviced apartment? Yep, that is exactly what The Blackman offers. The rooms are lovely and spacious, everything you would expect from a top hotel. With the bonus of having a kitchenette, mini fridge (or full fridge in some rooms), microwave, large bathroom and shared laundry facilities. This makes it an ideal location for longer stays - in some case really long, as you can also take up residency here or at any of the Art Series Hotels. Having also stayed at The Cullen, I would say The Blackman feels a little more conservative. Geared more for the business traveller. Doesn't quite have the spunk that The Cullen offers, but makes up for it with space and elegance as a larger hotel. The beds are simply amazing. The rooms are fairly dark which makes getting out of them in the morning near on impossible. But if you had the option, I would say why bother. Snooze away in blissful comfort. read more

Well, this place is evidently going to be my home away from home in Melbourne as somehow we have negotiated a great rate here. Can't believe my luck, right by the office and what a place! Covered in (of course) Blackmans, the rooms are fantastic including min bar Chock Speckles!! Unreal! And a great lil kitchenette thingy plus a spa bath, great pillows (most important, that) good robes and all round nice fit out. The breakfast downstairs is unbelievably cheap compared to most hotels - eggs on toast, grilled pancetta and a long black for 18 bucks - fantastic value, good food and awesome coffee! read more

This is a special hotel, with a sense of humour, tall, dark and handsome good looks, and a sophisticated edge. Plus, it has heart. It is the George Clooney of hotels, or maybe the Brangelina, without all the kids. The staff here are divine, exceptionally friendly and accommodating. Kudos to whoever hires, manages or trains this team. They have really made me feel so welcome. The rooms are chic, plush and well thought-out. All the switches and plugs are built in the right places. If you need something it's probably somewhere in the room. Need a whisk? You got it. A tiny canvas, paintbrushes and paints? Check! Berocca? It's in the fridge. There's smart cars you can hire for the day and suggested gallery tours to follow. Self-laundry facilities if you need them. Art in or on every appropriate space. It's just a smart hotel. Even their promotions are smart: Overstay Checkout? Genuis! The Classico restaurant makes great food and there are nightly specials to keep things interesting. Steak is only available for in room dining - not restaurant dining - which is slightly annoying, but there is obviously some smart reason for that too. It's a great hotel. I see no reason to leave. This bed is amazing! read more

I was attending a wedding reception about 50 meters away. This was a perfect location to while away the time prior. The service was good. Professional and efficient. The decor was slick and new. We sat on stools at the bar. I reckon the at the bar is the best place to sit as you can see all the action. I drank house sparkling, my friends poured over the wine menu and engaged the bar staff in conversation around tasting. The Blackman is also a hotel. On Saturday evening between 5pm and 6pm the place was pack. But comfortable. I must say my friends and I were not the only ones waiting out our time between the church and the reception. And it was the reception centre (the Willows in St.Kilda Rd) that pointed us here. Overall a nice location for a drink. read more

Beautiful room- great art throughout the room- The best staff and management. This is by far my favorite hotel. We had the Executive Suite and I must say that they thought of everything you'd need while away from home. Thanks to the staff who went out of their way to make this extra special for us. Looking forward to going back and sharing this experience with all my friends and family looking for a place to stay in Melbourne. read more

Very disappointed! The hotel is showing sign of age and poor maintenance as the shower does not drain. We were offered to shower in a different room or move to another room at 9:30pm at night with kids. We opted to move to another room, but the bathroom sink in the new room barely drains! Bad experience! End of the story! Update, the very next day, we found an apology card and a bottle of chilled wine in the room from the management team. This is a very nice gesture and we appreciate it. A recommendation to the hotel team, pls make sure all piping and drainage systems are working properly before assigning rooms to guests! The maid cleaning the room should have noticed this and reported it to the maintenance team and the check in desk. read more

This hotel has one of the best services, we were greeted with many gifts and delightful people.

Thanks to Yelp for the recommendation on where to spend our 5th wedding anniversary. We were to be in Melbourne and although location is usually our Number 1 criteria, we felt reassured that the tram access was sufficient to allow this slightly out of the way hotel to succeed. The check in was easy and quick and they provided us with helpful information about the tram and getting around. The room is knock your socks off spectacular. Comfortable bed, functional use of bathroom space, a kitchen (!), and a dining room table all fit into this quiet room. It was a little rainy and cold to take full advantage of the balcony, but I love to step out to check the weather. The cafe on the main floor is great and apparently not just for hotel guests. But the service there was inefficient. Perhaps this is part of the no-tipping culture, but I wouldn't expect that kind of slow service at a similar North American hotel of this calibre. Overall great stay, close to a park for jogging, close to transportation, and gorgeous all around. read more

Gorgeous stylish room decor. Great customer service. Walking distance to the Royal Botanical Gardens and lots of bars and restaurant. Bikes, mopeds and car rentals available cheap from the hotel. Rooms have full kitchenettes and are very spacious. Large balcony with table and chairs for al fresco dining. Massive flat screen TV in room and they gave us free Internet. read more

Love it here! The front counter service is amazing! The young Norwegian lad was so helpful and nothing seemed to distress him at all.

Very nice boutique hotel on St. Kilda road. The water drainage in our room was not great and bath room spa was not really cleaned regularly? When I used all black bits were coming out. Not much complimentary stuff were provided ( except one bottle of water and T2 tea sachets and two instant coffee ) and wished there were two bottles instead of one. Easy access from the city but the bar closed very early on sat night which was not nice for us. They should stay opened till a bit later on weekend? They will make more money I think! I want to rate this hotel four star minus because of the limited amenity and a bit more room details needed to be upgraded? Definitely Not my 5 star. A Great cafe downstairs and their coffee and breakfast we fully enjoyed. Fruit shaped pastry and a large size flat white, eggs and salmon omelette was very 5 star!! Will go back if they have discount stays rates. Room itself is very nice spacious. Loved selections of books in the room though. Loved Alice in wonderland theme all over with the featured artist. A bit dark themed because of the style of art. I liked the Callum better to be honest for my choice ( we partied at penthouse and stayed at the king size suite) . But bed at the Blackman was very comfy and pillow was sooo nice to cuddle when I was not cuddling my boyfriend. read more

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Penthouses are decorated with beautiful art, most of the the furniture had been moved for an event so hard to comment much more than that.

Left my iPhone charger in the hotel and it went missing "because it is the hottest item around" - so I think they meant their hotel staff stole it and it's my fault for leaving a popular item to steal... read more