Review of The Hotel Como, by Susan Miles

A modern and stylish vibe greets guests at The Como Hotel - unfussy in design, it offers slick, clean lines in its public areas and spacious suites. Its location is faultless: besides being a strolling distance to some of the most stylish names in designer wear, the hotel's other neighbours include the fun and lively Jam Factory and the cool and stylish Como Centre.

The facilities

The sundeck is designed for Melbourne's changeable weather. A heated swimming pool lies under a glass-topped retractable roof, allowing for a swim whether it's streaming sunshine or threatening storm clouds. The pool area also includes a compact sauna, spa and a well-equipped gym.

But while I appeared to have these facilities to myself, it became apparent that most guests were enjoying the welcoming So Bar. More than just a great place for a pre-dinner drink, I could have happily worked my way through their extensive cheese menu.

The final pleasure of the stay at the Como is breakfast at the Brassiere. While hard to turn down the pancakes with Canadian maple syrup, or waffles with strawberries, the choice of Asian Vegetable Broth with sourdough bread was a refreshing delight.

The rooms

With so many hotels going for the 'light colours to make the room more spacious' school of decorating, the Como could have happily painted my suite black without detracting from the airy feel. Instead, going for subdued colours in a streamlined design, the studio gives ample space for dining, lounging and kicking back. A clever little design feature, making the most of the studio layout is the nifty widescreen plasma in the middle of the suite that can be enjoyed from the plump and roomy couch or swivelled for some late night viewing from the king size bed.

In-room dining is also handled with some inspired creativity. Guests can order up ingredients for a do-it-yourself BBQ dinner up on the 6th floor sundeck or snacks from the 'Bites' menu that serves up mini versions of some of your favourite comfort foods.