• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • ABOUT
    • All About Grantourismo
    • Work With Us
    • Meet Lara and Terence
    • Itineraries, Tours & Retreats
    • Media Coverage
    • Contacts
  • SLOW
  • LOCAL
  • EXPERIENTIAL
  • RECIPES
Grantourismo Travels Homepage

Grantourismo Travels

The website of globetrotting professional travel writing and photography team Lara Dunston and Terence Carter

Grantourismo Travels Homepage
  • AFRICA
        • KENYA
          • Masai Mara
          • Mombasa
          • Tsavo West
        • MOROCCO
          • Essaouira
          • Marrakech
        • SOUTH AFRICA
          • Cape Town
  • ASIA
        • CAMBODIA
          • Battambang
          • Phnom Penh
          • Siem Reap
        • INDONESIA
          • Bali
        • JAPAN
          • Tokyo
        • LAOS
          • Luang Prabang
        • MALAYSIA
          • Borneo
          • Kuala Lumpur
          • Penang
        • MEKONG RIVER
        • SINGAPORE
        • MYANMAR
        • THAILAND
          • Bangkok
          • Chiang Mai
          • Isaan
          • Phuket
        • VIETNAM
          • Dalat
          • Hanoi
          • Hoi An
          • Saigon
          • Sapa
  • AMERICAS
        • ARGENTINA
          • Buenos Aires
        • BRAZIL
          • Rio de Janeiro
        • COSTA RICA
          • Manuel Antonio
        • MEXICO
          • Mexico City
          • San Miguel de Allende
        • UNITED STATES
          • Austin
          • New York City
  • AUSTRALASIA
        • AUSTRALIA
          • Adelaide
          • Darwin
          • Gold Coast
          • Melbourne
          • Perth
          • Sydney
  • EUROPE
        • AUSTRIA
          • Vienna
          • Zell Am See
        • ENGLAND
          • London
        • FRANCE
          • Céret
          • Paris
          • Perpignan
        • GERMANY
          • Berlin
        • HUNGARY
          • Budapest
        • ITALY
          • Alberobello
          • Calabria
          • Italian Lakes
          • Sardinia
          • Venice
        • MONTENEGRO
          • Kotor
        • POLAND
          • Krakow
          • Zakopane
        • PORTUGAL
          • Porto
          • Portugal Wine Regions
        • SCOTLAND
          • Edinburgh
        • SPAIN
          • Barcelona
          • Jerez
          • Mallorca
        • TURKEY
          • Istanbul
  • MIDDLE EAST
        • JORDAN
          • Desert Areas
        • QATAR
          • Doha
        • UAE
          • Dubai
Crown Metropol, Melbourne, Victoria. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved. Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – The Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels from Mid-Range to Luxury

Where to stay in Melbourne when it comes to the best city centre hotels depends on the kind of stay you’re planning to have in the Victoria capital and the type of hotel you like to check into for big city break. The sleek Crown Metropol on South Bank has city views and restaurants and bars on its doorstep while The Hotel Windsor oozes history and has a wonderful location.

While we’re big fans of Melbourne’s excellent serviced apartments for stays longer than a few days, and for shorter periods we’ll opt for one of the many chic Melbourne boutique hotels, we do appreciate the advantages of staying in a big hotel in the heart of the city, and that’s exactly what we did on our last trip to Melbourne.

A major advantage of staying in one of Melbourne’s big city centre hotels is the central location (most boutique hotels can’t afford high CBD rents), along with the extensive facilities, from restaurants and bars to spas and swimming pools. These are our suggestions as to where to stay in Melbourne in the city centre, based on our stays over the years.

Updated 6 April 2022

Where to Stay in Melbourne – Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels from Mid-Range to Luxury

Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne

The beautifully refurbished 4.5 star Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne is located in a grand Victorian-era heritage-listed building dating to 1913 and it oozes history – from its lofty marble columns and ornate decorative features to its wood-panelled walls and stained-glass windows.

The plush rooms are endearing old-fashioned with an understated elegance indicative of the period, with velvet bedheads, silk drapes and marble bathrooms. The pick of the room categories is the light-filled Edwardian King with seven-metre high ceilings and city views.

The location on Flinders Street is handy, opposite the Flinders Street Railway Station, a short stroll to Southbank, museums and galleries, and gardens, and plenty of restaurants and bars.

Don’t miss the hotel’s own Travellers Bar for craft cocktails as much as the history of the bar. High tea – which is really afternoon tea – is recommended with tiered trays of scones and sandwiches and pastries.

At the time of updating this post, our friends at Luxury Escapes have a fantastic offer of A$399/room from 2 nights including daily breakfast for two, a welcome bottle of white or red wine, a Rendezvous gift pack on arrival, guaranteed 1pm late checkout, and the option to upgrade to the Edwardian Room or Fuller Suite King, with free daily parking, a premium bottle of wine and gourmet cheese platter.

Book the Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne On Spencer

Situated opposite Southern Cross Station, the Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne On Spencer is an excellent choice if you’re arriving on train from or heading onto Adelaide or Sydney or you’re planning to do day-trips down to Geelong or up to Bendigo, Echuca and other country Victoria destinations. There’s also a coach station for buses to Ballarat, Heathcote, Healesville etc.

While the Mövenpick is located on the western perimeter of the city, it’s situated between Bourke Street and Little Bourke Street and close to Little Collins, with good tram routes on the hotel doorstep and it’s just a short stroll to the excellent Immigration Museum, Yarra River, and from there a pleasant stroll to Southbank.

The entry level rooms are on the snug side at 25m², however, they’re very comfortable with teal velvet sofas, tangerine and burgundy silk cushions, and brass-trimmed coffee tables. If size and space matters, then you’ll want to book a big 41m² Superior room with a separate living area with big sofa and a spacious bathroom with bathtub.

If squeezing a swim into your stay is important, this is an excellent choice with a stunning 25-metre swimming pool that’s heated in winter.

When it comes to drinking and dining, there are a few gems in the area. The all-day diner Higher Ground is a couple of blocks away and is a great choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner, while Spanish institution MoVida Aqui is a few block’s stroll away.

Book the Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

W Melbourne

Once upon a time, I would have put a W hotel in our boutique hotel guide, but while the W brand still has something of the cool factor lacking in most big 4-star and 5-star luxury hotels, with 294 guest rooms W Melbourne is far from boutique size.

The W Melbourne is an excellent choice, however, especially if you’re a fan of the glam-ish brand, which was innovative back in the day. Oddly enough, considering its Melbourne location, this W is a bit more conservative than most. The Brisbane W actually has more of the hip factor and pop art-style that fans of the brand love.

Rooms still boast bold coloured features, such as cuddly cushions and big cozy crocheted blankets on the beds. The picks of the rooms are the top-category studios and suites – the 60sqm Spectacular studio, and the 65sqm Fantastic suite, and if money is no object, the whopping 105-127sqm WOW suite and 175sqm Extreme Wow penthouse suite, which are essentially luxury apartments. If you’re lucky enough to check into one, will be very hard to leave.

The swimming pool is stunning, even if it’s more suited to lounging than laps, and the W’s signature restaurant, Lollo, is well worth a meal. Helmed by chef Adam D’Sylva, owner of Tonka and Coda restaurants, the menu features dishes such as tataki of yellow fin tuna with fresh horseradish, pomegranate, coriander and ponzu, and a duck lasagne baked to order.

Book the W Melbourne with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

Crown Metropol

Chic and sleek, this is one of Melbourne’s most glamorous hotels, with a dramatic light-filled lobby, the city’s most spectacular swimming pool (pictured above), and some of the most stylish and comfortable rooms around. We tried a couple of different types, including the City Luxe and a one-bedroom Loft.

At almost twice the price of the City Luxe, the Loft rooms are for travellers looking for a special weekend away — whether a romantic getaway or a city escape with friends, because with a dining table for four and comfy modular lounge you can actually do some entertaining here.

The City Luxe room would suit most travellers and would be the best option if you’re not planning on spending a lot of time in the hotel. There’s the usual iPod docking station, wireless internet, beautiful toiletries, and well-stocked mini bar you expect at this level, but I loved little touches like food and travel magazines scattered about, and jaw-dropping views of the city skyline.

If you don’t find Melbourne all that attractive, you will change your mind after gazing at these stunning city vistas for a couple of days.  Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar is downstairs and — being located on South Bank, there are a handful of superb restaurants just minutes away, including Rockpool Bar & Grill, Spice Temple, The Atlantic, and Bistro Guillaume.

Book Crown Metropol Melbourne online with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

The Hotel Windsor

Oozing history, this majestic old hotel easily has the most atmosphere of any Melbourne accommodation. Opening in 1883, it actually pre-dates the world’s finest grand hotels, including Raffles in Singapore (dating to 1887), The Savoy London (1889), New York’s Waldorf Astoria (1894), and The Ritz Paris (1898).

Aptly, in a city obsessed with its coffee, it was once known as the Grand Coffee Palace. Now, it’s famous for offering the city’s oldest, continually running, afternoon tea — a Melbourne tradition and must-do experience (read about The Hotel Windsow afternoon tea here).

We had an appropriately grand room too, plush, spacious and furnished with antiques and fresh flowers, with views of Parliament House, splendidly illuminated at night. The location on Spring Street opposite Parliament House is also terrific.

The free City Circle tram stop is on the corner, making moving around the CBD a breeze, while Fitzroy and Richmond are close by, and a short stroll away are some of the city’s best restaurants and bars, including The European, Chin Chin, Flower Drum, Ginger Boy, and the City Wine Shop (a buzzy bar, as well as a great bottle shop.)

Book The Hotel Windsor online with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

Sofitel Melbourne on Collins

Situated on Collins Street, the Sofitel is another big luxury five star brand that we weren’t fans of in the past and only stayed here as a lot of people had recommended the Melbourne’s Sofitel to us. The hotel has a monumental lobby — in fact it’s a colossal building, with one of the highest atriums that I’ve ever seen.

The rooms are spacious and plush, with one of the most comfortable beds we’d had on the trip, along with all the usual amenities you expect in a hotel in this price category.

We had interesting views over the cricket ground and stadium, the Yarra River and the sprawling Melbourne suburbs, although I prefer the city vistas, from the other side of the hotel, and would highly recommend asking for one of those rooms.

Like the Grand Hyatt and Hotel Windsor, which are in the same neighbourhood, the hotel is an easy stroll to some of the city’s best restaurants (see above).

Book Sofitel Melbourne On Collins online with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

Grand Hyatt Melbourne

With a colossal lobby of the kind you expect in a Grand Hyatt and expansive, comfortable rooms, the Grand Hyatt Melbourne is a good choice for fans of the brand. It’s another hotel that’s handily located for eating out in Melbourne — with Chin Chin in the street behind and Izakaya Den on the corner, and a long list of great restaurants within walking distance.

Disappointingly though, the hotel doesn’t have the array of superb dining and drinking opportunities we usually expect of Hyatts. In Dubai, for instance, we ate at the Grand Hyatt almost every week for many years — it boasted the city’s best Vietnamese, along with a brilliant Singaporean seafood restaurant, Dubai’s best New York-style steakhouse, and a fantastic Lebanese restaurant, while the Park Hyatt was home to one of my favourite bars and a buzzy Thai hawker-inspired eatery.

Having said that, aside from entertainment complexes like the Crown, Australians don’t seem to do much eating in big hotels, leaving them to the tourists, so we won’t hold this against the Hyatt.

Our only complaint was with the Internet, which didn’t work and we subsequently wasted an hour on the phone talking to an off-site call-centre IT guy who wasn’t very helpful. The only thing that helped us maintain a sense of calm was the stunning city vistas; ask for a room on a high floor.

Book Grand Hyatt Melbourne online with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

Park Hyatt Melbourne

Located on Parliament Square, overlooking St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Fitzroy Gardens, the elegant 5-star Park Hyatt Melbourne boasts some of Melbourne’s most luxury accommodation in the city.

The Park Hyatt claims to have Melbourne’s largest guest rooms and suites in the city. Of the 245 rooms, the picks of the room categories are the 55m² King View Deluxe rooms overlooking the cathedral and gardens or the city skyline and the 65m² Terrace Suites with a spacious living area and study, a big en-suite bathroom with double vanity, deep bath-tubs and rain showers, and a lovely terrace offering uninterrupted views of the cathedral and cityscape.

Pack your cozzies! There’s a 25-metre indoor heated pool – which you’ll appreciate if you’re in Melbourne in winter – and a day spa offering signature Hyatt massages, body treatments, and facials etc, along with spa cuisine.

The Park Hyatt also offers another of Melbourne’s best ‘High Teas’ – once again, it’s not, it’s afternoon tea; I’m not sure why but, the Hotel Windsor excluded, most Melbourne hotels don’t seem to know the difference between High Tea and Afternoon Tea.

The Park Hyatt hotels pride themselves on their exceptional personalised service and staff who go above and beyond the call of duty, and one member of the team you must meet is Mr Walker, the hotel’s canine ambassador! The affectionate blonde Labrador was trained by Guide Dogs Victoria and greets guests at the lobby. He also has his own Instagram account! #BarkHyattMelbourne

Book the Park Hyatt Melbourne with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

Pullman Melbourne on Swanston

Hotels don’t get more central in Melbourne than the Pullman Melbourne on Swanston, slap-bang in the heart of the city. This is the hotel to check into if you’re in Melbourne for shopping, eating, sipping, and shows – the Regent Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre and Comedy Theatre are all close by.

Step out of the hotel and you’re literally seconds from shopping destinations such as Bourke Street Mall, Myer department store and Galleria Mall, while Collins Street and Little Collins Street with its more interesting boutiques, along with restaurants and bars are minutes away.

Chinatown Melbourne is on the Pullman’s doorstep, while a long list of excellent bakeries, eateries, restaurants and bars are within a few blocks including Lune Croissanterie, Belles Hot Chicken, Supernormal, Tipo 00, and ARU.

Rooms are comfy with bold coloured features and furnishings, such as pink bed throws and golden-yellow sofas. If you’re in the city for pleasure, the 40m² Deluxe room with a cosy sitting area and city views will suit you just fine, while the 48m² Premium is best for business travellers with more room to spread out.

Book the Pullman Melbourne on Swanston with our booking partner Booking.com.

Where to Stay in Melbourne – the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels From Mid-Range to Luxury

Melbourne Marriott

The Marriott isn’t a hotel brand we’d ever taken much notice of before our stay here, to be honest, although we’ve checked into a few over the years when they’ve been convenient and the prices have been right, generally in the Middle East.

They seem to be renovating a lot of their older style hotels, and if, like us, you overlooked them in the past, it might be time to take another peek.

The décor at the Melbourne Marriott is more modern in style, with the clean lines, neutral tones accented by bold colours, and the occasional funky piece of furniture, like the cream leather chair and stools in the rooms.

There’s a casual-chic eatery and cafe on site, and the location is handy for exploring the CBD, as well as nearby Carlton, Fitzroy and Richmond.

But what really struck us from the moment we arrived were the friendly and efficient staff, from the porter who whisked our bags off to our room (not that we had much) to the front desk staff who offered us (and other guests who arrived) glasses of bubbly from a bottle of sparkling in an ice-bucket on the counter. How civilised.

Book Melbourne Marriott Hotel online with our booking partner Booking.com.

Feature image by Terence Carter; hotel images used with permission of Luxury Escapes and the hotels.

We hope you find our guide to Where to Stay in Melbourne for the Best Melbourne City Centre Hotels from Mid-Range to Luxury useful. We’d love to hear from you if you’ve stayed in any of these properties and have feedback, positive or negative, or have tips to hotels we should try next time we’re in the city.

Support our Cambodia Cookbook & Culinary History Book with a donation or monthly pledge on Patreon.

Related Posts You Might Like

Advertisement

Find Your Australia Accommodation

Booking.com

Shop for related products

SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

410 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Yummly

About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michael says

    February 20, 2013 at 9:17 am

    Me and my brother will be visiting Melbourne in March. We’re staying with a friend for a few days but might have to stay in a hotel. Will probably stay at Hotel Windsor, if it isn’t too expensive.

  2. Keith Kellett says

    October 30, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    We stayed at the Ibis Victoria on Little Collins Street. Not great for views, but the service was superb. We had quite a trek to get to our room on the first night, for which the receptionist apologised, and promised to move us to a more convenient one on the morrow. Which he did!

  3. Lara Dunston says

    November 1, 2016 at 10:05 am

    Thanks for the tip, Keith! Ibis hotels are just fine if all you want is an affordable bed and are going to be out and about most of the time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About Grantourismo

Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
READ MORE…

Featured Posts

Easy Mexican Chilaquiles Recipe with Fried Eggs, Shredded Chicken and Green Salsa for Chilaquiles Verdes. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved. What to Cook this Week.

Mexican Chilaquiles Recipe with Fried Eggs, Shredded Chicken and Green Salsa for Chilaquiles Verdes

The House of Terror, Budapest, Hungary. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved. Museum Visit: The House of Terror, Budapest.

Museum Visit: The House of Terror, Budapest

Spontaneity in Travel – or Why We Are Spending Christmas in Hanoi. Hanoi old town at Christmas, Hanoi, Vietnam. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Spontaneity in Travel – or Why We Are Spending Christmas in Hanoi

Footer

ABOUT GRANTOURISMO

  • All About Grantourismo
  • Meet Lara and Terence
  • Work With Us
  • Itineraries, Tours & Retreats
  • Media & Advertising
  • Media Coverage
  • Contacts

THE GRANTOURISMO SHOP ON SOCIETY6

The Grantourismo Shop on Society6

GET THE BEST MANAGED WORDPRESS HOSTING

Get the Best Managed Wordpress Website Hosting with Flywheel

IMPORTANT DETAILS

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Editorial Policy
  • Comments Policy
  • Advertising
  • Privacy Policy

AMAZON AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

Grantourismo Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.

GRANTOURISMO AFFILIATES/SUPPORT

Grantourismo is reader-supported. Posts contain various affiliate links. If you click through and purchase something, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That income supports the work we do to create content. Here are more ways to support Grantourismo.

SUBSCRIBE

Follow us on Socials

INSTAGRAM FEED

Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

SAFETY WING INSURANCE

Safety Wing Insurance

Footer Widget Header

WEB LOVE

As Seen in The Guardian As Seen on NineMSN As Seen on Tnooz
As Seen In The Independent As Seen on Frommers As seen on Viator
As Seen in Afar As seen on Gadling As seen on Context
As Seen in Fathom As Seen on Matador As seen on Inspirato with American Express
As seen on the Daily Mail website As seen on the Forbes website Grantourismo on the SilverKris website

ALL MEDIA COPYRIGHT © 2009–2023 GRANTOURISMO | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
DESIGNED IN APARTMENT RENTALS, HOTELS AND RESORTS AROUND THE WORLD BY GRANTOURISMO MEDIA.
ASSEMBLED IN SOUTH-EAST-ASIA.
GRANTOURISMO TRAVELS AND ‘MAKING TRAVEL MORE MEANINGFUL AND MEMORABLE’ ARE ™ TO GRANTOURISMO MEDIA.