Chocolate O’Clock at Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne On Spencer

The food scene, laneways and culture of Melbourne are calling - it’s time for a city stay in one of the glossiest hotels in town. With a super-convenient location and celebrated restaurant, this 4.5 star Melbourne hotel is a favourite with all types of travellers. Added bonus: the famous Mövenpick Chocolate Hour makes it a favourite with sweet-toothed guests, too.

Directly opposite Melbourne’s key travel hub, Southern Cross Station on Spencer Street, there couldn’t be a better location for staycationers or out-of-town visitors. The station is the connector for all metro and country Victoria trains, and the terminus for the Airport Skybus. We literally skip across the road and into the cool, perfumed lobby of the Mövenpick Melbourne. It doesn’t get any easier.

The hotel’s also within the city’s free-tram zone, with tram stops at the front door for a classic Melbourne arrival.

The first thing I notice when I enter the lobby is the smell of coffee from top Melbourne roaster St. Ali coming from the Mövenpick Cafe - it’s peak Melbourne. And the second thing is the sweet little ice-cream stand, whose design nods to the historic market stalls at the nearby Queen Victoria Markets.

Moving past the coffee - which is hard to do because I’m a caffeine tragic - check-in is a sweet-scented affair. The hotel lobby’s signature scent is a blend of marine citrus, exotic amber and calming musk called Moments in the Cloud, and helps wash away the stress of travel and the busyness of the city streets and the train station opposite.

With the cafe and stylish bar near the check-in desk, the lobby feels vibrant and welcoming, promising a great stay.

There are 172 rooms and suites in the hotel, which occupies the first six floors of the Premier Tower; step outside and look up to check out the skyscraper’s unmistakable shape.

The rooms range from standard rooms up to family suites and there are also 10 accessible rooms with a king or two single beds; mine is the popular Deluxe King room. I love the mix of monochromatic walls and the ping of jewel colours in the carpet and daybed, but the hero is the mural by Melbourne photographer Steve Cross. The staff tell me the late photographer’s work is a feature of every guestroom, big or small.

There are all the usual hotel facilities; a minibar and safe, free Wi-Fi and Foxtel on the 55-inch TV, as well as robes and slippers to wander down to the pool in. While the room is fitted with blackout curtains, I love to wake up to the morning sun, so it’s a no from me. The rooms feel spacious, and there’s a lunch and dinner room service, but with all the great restaurants and bars nearby, we’re keen to go exploring.

It’s not often a seriously good restaurant and a kid-pleasing menu share the same space, but that’s exactly what happens here at Melbourne’s Mövenpick .

Miss Mi is the hotel's signature restaurant, and in a city renowned for world-class dining, it’s a destination restaurant for its modern Asian cuisine, headed up by Filipino-Australian chef Migo Razon. Don’t take my word for it; Miss Mi was honoured with the prestigious Chef Hat award from the Australian Good Food Guide in 2025 and again in 2026.

The menu is a mix of plates designed to share - the signature kangaroo skewers blend Asian and Australian ingredients, while the spiced fried lamb ribs with chilli caramel are worth the sticky fingers! It’d be perfect for a little romantic interlude, celebrating with friends or sharing amongst families; we order a couple of freshly shucked oysters with scampi caviar and the kingfish ceviche to start, before moving on to the heartier beef rendang and fire-blistered aubergine with a chickpea pochero (a type of Filipino stew) - every dish is so good, and the exciting menu plays to my love of exploring new dishes.

The Mövenpick brand was founded in 1948 in Switzerland, aka chocoholic heaven, and every day, everywhere around the world, every Mövenpick hotel celebrates Chocolate Hour, serving guests with an hour of cocoa power. Staff call it ‘Mmm O’Clock’ - and with good reason.

We join other guests in the lobby at 2pm to snack on gorgeous little chocolate truffles and petit fours, macarons and the signature chocolate fountain. Sooooo good! My advice; skip lunch beforehand, or make this your dessert. It occurs every day, so it’s definitely an incentive to stay more than one night!

The pool is open until 10pm, so we drop in for a dip and a hot tub after dinner. There’s also a dry sauna and the gym is open 24 hours, though I opt for a morning jog around the streets to explore the laneways around us.

The Melbourne grid is easy to navigate, and with all trams in the CBD free for everyone, it’s easy to explore. Close by the hotel is the burgeoning Koreatown, which is full of little surprises. Look for the Korean totem poles at Healeys Lane; here, you’ll find Korean barbeque and soju (distilled rice spirit), tiny karaoke booths for two, and late-night restaurants serving Korean snacks and full meals.

It’s an easy 500m walk on footbridges to Marvel Stadium, so it’s no surprise to learn the hotel’s always busy when there’s a big sporting event or show going on. In fact, it’s one of the closest hotels to all the action; the stadium hosts AFL games during the winter and all the world’s biggest music acts, from Oasis to Taylor Swift, have played here recently. It’s the same distance downhill to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which has great food and cosplay expos (if that’s your bag), and you can also catch a tram there.

Getting there: Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer is in the centre of Melbourne; it’s on the city’s key tram stops, and is directly opposite Southern Cross Station, terminus for the Skybus from Melbourne Airport.

The details: (03) 9600 5400, 160 Spencer, St, Melbourne 3000, Australia