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Location: Cathedral Avenue in the CBD, about 20 minutes’ drive from Perth Airport.
Getting there: Jason from Perth Luxury Transfers drove me in style in his black sedan, with smooth leather seats and complimentary bottled water. The company also offers private tours, and Jason gave me a mini-guided tour of the sights as we travelled.
What’s so good about this place? It’s a luxury boutique hotel (only 48 rooms and suites) in a renovated heritage building. The State Buildings have been a landmark in Perth for more than 100 years, as a seat of government, a post office and a treasury. In October 2015, it opened as the Como after a restoration and redesign by Kerry Hill Architects. The building’s bones were left intact and three historic buildings have been joined together to create one beautiful hotel.
And the bad? I arrived at 4pm and had to check out at 6.30am the next day. I would have liked to stay for much, much longer.
Check-in experience: Entering the Como’s grand entrance, there’s no obvious reception desk. Instead, there’s an “arrivals lounge”, a stylish, comfortable, luxe space with a range of seating options and a small desk at the back of the room. The first question I was asked was a tricky one… would I like a glass of Champagne? I accepted. I was also brought a fragrant cool towel to freshen up. I completed a check-in form then was shown to my room which was up one level in a glass elevator, then down a softly lit hallway.
Room: One of 18 Heritage Rooms, a 60sq/m beauty, with high ceilings, large sash windows and plenty of natural light.
Decor: Contemporary and stylish, with lots of Scandinavian-style light wood and a muted colour scheme; the only bold colour came from a cosy orange mohair blanket. Even the wool carpet is a lovely buckwheat colour. There’s no art on the walls, keeping things fresh and modern. I love a hotel room with plenty of seating options, so you don’t always have to use your bed – my room had five choices in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. My favourite was a comfortable leather and canvas chaise longue.
Complimentary Wi-Fi: Yes, unlimited, and fast.
Bed: A custom-made king bed with Grand Posture natural firm mattresses, and Egyptian cotton bed linen.
Room with a view: From my three huge sash windows I could see out to St George’s Cathedral and Cathedral Square.
Bathroom: My ultimate dream bathroom. A free-standing bathtub under the sash window (black out blinds are installed for privacy), walk-in rain-head shower, twin basins, heated stone floors and a separate toilet cubicle tucked away in what looks like a mirrored closet.
Toiletries: From the in-house Como Shambhala spa. A stone jar of bath salts was also provided and smelled delicious.
Food and drink: Two squares of rich, spongey caramel cake were waiting under a bell jar when I arrived. There’s a complimentary mini-bar with still and sparkling water, local beers from Eagle Bay and Little Creatures, Fever Tree tonics, plus jars of spicy corn snacks, cashews and chocolates. The Illy coffee machine was easy to use, and there were six different types of tea to choose from. The only thing that you need to pay for is the hard liquor – Hippocampus gin and vodka, and Limeburners single malt whiskey, all brewed locally.
In the building itself, there’s Wildflower, the “destination restaurant” on the top floor, which has great views of the Swan River. Post is for more casual dining, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s also the Treasury Lounge and Bar, and on the lower ground floor there’s Petition Kitchen, Long Chim, Halford, Telegram Coffee and West End Deli Cereal and Sandwich Bar.
Entertainment: Large, wall-mounted Samsung TV, Tivoli audio system, built-in USB ports. The Como hotel brand has its own magazine, Como Stories, and there were two issues on my coffee table.
Facilities: The Como Shambhala spa offers a range of wellness treatments, as well as yoga and Pilates classes. A gym and 20m indoor pool is also available for guests.
What’s in the neighbourhood? St George’s Cathedral, Stirling and Supreme Gardens. It’s a short walk to the Swan River, and to Hay St and Murray St Malls, with excellent high street and department store shopping.
Perfect for: Anyone looking for a stylish, luxury, contemporary hotel with a unique personality.
In a nutshell: Not your average CBD hotel.
Sоurсе: nzherald.co.nz