The smart way to play just before checking out of a luxury hotel is to swipe as many of those premium room amenities as you can. Stuff those bottles of body wash in your suitcase; if the mini-bar is open, take everything with you; squeeze as much value as you can from your staycation. Some may see it as a bit cheap, but there’s really no shame in it. After all, amenities are priced into the room rate, so more thrifty hotel guests have been known to “steal” whatever they can. Some hoteliers hate it, most expect it, but one particular property in Melbourne is actually encouraging it. That is The Prince Hotel in Melbourne, which for one month will be decking its suites with high-end Australian brands so guests can “steal” everything from Champagne and luxury linen to toiletries, ceramics and those plush bathroom robes.
It’s one of the more unique promotions I’ve seen an Australian hotel move forward with in years, fashioned as “Steal The Suite” and running now until 31st May. Doing the maths, you’re looking at a room rate of $999 and, assuming you take everything home with you, a value of around $2,000.
While you don’t get to choose the brands you walk away with, the hotel clearly has some strong curation as they’ve chosen the likes of Grown Alchemist, Cultiver, Hommey, Marloe Marloe and Michelton Wines to fill the suites with some very tempting products worth packing in that suitcase.
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The Prince of Wales Hotel in St Kilda has long been known as one of the area’s major social hubs. The hotel’s restaurant, Prince Dining Room (formerly known as Circa), has seen some of the city’s best chefs breeze through the kitchen from Ben Shewry to Adam McConnell, while the quintessential Aussie pub on the ground floor has always been a favourite haunt for locals.
The boutique hotel attached to the venue used to be a weathered afterthought where only the most desperate of travellers would take up temp digs. Over the past few years, a swift refurbishment has turned the accommodation into something much more befitting of the venue’s legacy, turning it into one of the better choices for a staycation close to St Kilda beach.
On any normal night, a room here would usually be around the $200 mark. For “Steal the Suite,” The Price Hotel has bumped that rate up significantly but made sure to deck those suites out nicely to make up the value. After all, everything listed below is yours to take as you please.
- Skin and body care from Grown Alchemist
- Handmade ceramics from Marloe Marloe
- Bedware from Cultiver Linen
- Cushions from Hommey
- Champagne and wines from Mitchelton Wines (12 bottles in the mini-bar)
- Charcuterie & cheese from Little Prince Wine
