Hilton spin-off in WA makes elegance look easy

The Hotel

Hilton Garden Inn Albany, Western Australia

Check in

Launching as the brand’s first Australian property in 2021 (there’s now three in Australia), the Hilton Garden Inn Albany leans into its role as a “focused-service hotel” (industry speak for a property with limited amenities and services) with the removal of traditional minibars and concierge service. There are still the high-end details you would expect from the Hilton brand, but a more relaxed ambience. Guests can mingle in the stylish lobby or at the bar, work out in the 24-hour gym, or pick up snacks in the all-hours snack bar on the main level. The hotel is within walking distance to everything, but it’s also quietly tucked away. Being waterside means every morning comes with a spectacular sunrise view. Albany is a one-hour flight or a five-hour drive from Perth.

The look

On the main floor, a super easygoing check-in desk is bookended with a bar on one side and casual eatery Together & Co, which doubles as the breakfast bar for hotel guests. Above, there’s 108 rooms, each with a king bed (or two king singles and a twin). If you’re lucky, yours will be one of the rooms with uninterrupted views across the harbour. The public spaces are light and airy, with brass accents and pendant lighting. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the ground floor, capturing the marina beyond.

The room

Given the hotel’s location on the harbour front, which is still relatively undeveloped, the King Harbour View room has a great outlook. Sunrises are particularly special here, and the room’s modern bay window pays heed to that. There’s a good-sized desk, mini-fridge and king bed that’s flush with pillows and featuring an impressively tight tuck. The bathroom has a rain shower head and wood-look tiles, so there’s a touch of Scandi-cool, too. If the many sights of Albany aren’t enough to entertain you, perhaps the 55-inch (140 centimetres) television will.

Food + drink

Together & Co offers breakfast and dinner to guests and visitors alike, with a buffet of hot and cold dishes in the morning and a la carte charcuterie boards and small bites in the evening. The hotel bar is stocked with local Giniversity gin and wines from the region, including riesling, both of which pair well with crispy fried bocconcini at the counter. Across the road, Due South serves pizzas in a cavernous beer-hall-inspired eatery. Hazbeanz, a coffee shop on the marina, has queues from 6am. French-Vietnamese eatery Liberte is a quick walk away, meaning marron and pork banh xeo and pho onion dip are too. A stroll away is Bred Co, where the croissants are out of this world.

Out + about

There’s a heck of a lot to do in Albany. Coastal walks? You betcha. Try the walk down to the blowholes in Torrundip National Park, or the relatively easy walk between Emu Point and Ellen Cove, along Middleton Beach. Don’t miss the Albany Farmers Market, on every Saturday morning. The town has a long history of whaling and is famous for being the port from which the Anzacs departed in 1914 (the National Anzac Centre is located in Albany Heritage Park). Nearby you’ll also find 2022’s best beach in Australia: Misery Beach, tucked inside the Torndirrup National Park.

The verdict

A refined, relaxed urban hotel that makes sophistication look simple.

Essentials

Rooms start at $240 a night, depending on the season. See hilton.com/en/hotels/alhgigi-hilton-garden-inn-albany

Our score out of five

★★★★

Highlight

The hotel’s proximity means downtown – or an afternoon rest – is never too far out of reach.

Lowlight

The air-conditioning has short-term memory; good luck not freezing your toes off without professional assistance.

The writer visited with support from the Hilton Garden Inn Albany and Tourism WA.