When I get run into the ground at my day job I try and get away for the weekend to relax and unwind and this weekend saw me wing it to Melbourne and land at the Sofitel. I've written before about my less than five-star experiences in Brisbane with the Accor owned company but the Melbourne version has a much better track record. The rooms are well fitted out, complete with dvd players, surround sound and an iPod connection controlled by the touch-screen remote next to the bed and then there is the club lounge which is in a world of it's own. How many hotels have a fireplace on the 35th floor?

On the nights I was there the lounge was mostly quiet, perfect for a book and a gin and tonic and enjoying the open bar and evening canapés or the sweeter petit fours of an evening with a hot chocolate. Some company would have been nice too.

Sofitel Melbourne Club Lounge

Breakfast is a hybrid buffet and à la carte, having scrambled eggs, bacon fruit and cereal on the bar and a slightly changing menu of a 'big breakfast', eggs benedict etc. I'd highly recommend the ricotta hotcakes.

Pine Nut and Honey Ricotta Hotcakes @ Sofitel Club Lounge, Melbourne

Those of you who know me, and those of you that finish reading this sentence know that I love coffee. Most of you even know that I like *ahem* a drink or two. So when I hit the Atrium Bar at the Sofitel Melbourne the night I landed I started to relax, To understand the atmosphere in this bar you need to appreciate the layout of the Sofitel Melbourne. Even though the reception is based on the lower floors the hotel itself does not start until the 35th floor, perched on top of an office tower. This is where you'll find the Atrium Bar and it's skylight another 15 floors above.

Atrium Bar @ Sofitel Melbourne

I went through a couple of drinks, starting with a fig and scotch martini that was nice except I'm not the biggest fan of scotch - the figs almost made up for it. I ended up with heaven in a glass with an espresso martini. Goddamn it was good, heck, it even had crema thick and frothy enough to hold up whole beans... It wasn't like any of the other espresso martini's I've had before, this had a dash of frangelico in it I think.

I think I've found a reason to dust off my own martini glasses.

Espresso Martini - Sofitel Melbourne

Tags:Sofitel, Melbourne, Martini, Coffee, Atrium Bar, Lounge, Club Lounge, Review