DoubleTree Perth Northbridge Review
The DoubleTree Perth Northbridge opened December 28, 2018; less than 2 months before my stay. A friend and I had three nights in Perth and after checking out the InterContinental, Hyatt Regency, and Hilton, decided that the DoubleTree was a good option. At under $100 USD per night all in, it was a bargain.
Location
The DoubleTree Perth is located in the Northbridge neighborhood, just north of the downtown CBD. The main entrance is on James Street, the party street that gets quite wild at night — the sex shops across the street may give some guests pause. During the day it is a quiet street. There are a ton of great restaurant options in the neighborhood. It is the tallest building in the area and definitely sticks out.
The new Yagan Square park and entertainment development is less than two blocks away. Two more blocks and you are in the center of the city shopping area. A few more blocks and you are at the new Elizabeth Quay waterfront.
The hotel is about 20 minutes from the airport (~$20 USD Uber ride).
Check In
We arrived after 24 hours of travel from the US around 1:30 in the afternoon. The lobby is modern and clean (though small).
We were greeted with typical DoubleTree cookies (yuck) and a welcome cocktail. The staff were incredibly friendly and shared various options of sites to see around Perth.
We were assigned Room 1112 (11th floor out of 15 floors). I am a Hilton Honors Diamond elite (thanks to the Aspire Amex). I don’t think the hotel has suites open yet (if ever), so ours was a Twin Bed room on a high floor.
As you enter the room, the bathroom is on the right, followed by a large closet and the small main room.
Opposite the two twin beds is a table with two chairs, built in TV, empty mini fridge, hot water kettle and glassware.
The closet is large and contains the standard amenities including slippers.
The view is of the suburban landscape; I don’t think many (any?) of the rooms have views of the downtown or waterfront. Note that even on the 11th floor I could hear music from some of the neighboring clubs late into the night/morning. Bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper.
As seems to be a trend, there is a glass window between the shower and the room. Fortunately a privacy curtain can be lowered from within the bathroom.
Bathroom
The bathroom has a single sink with little counter space. The mirror has a light built in to the sides with touch sensitive button in the bottom of the mirror to turn on and off. You can just see the small red circle embedded in the mirror in the photos below.
The shower is large with both rain shower head and hand held wand. Both are adjustable with a push button to control the water pressure. Only once shower head can be used at a time.
The floor of the shower is tile with a wood look that matches the rest of the bathroom and room entry.
Pool & Gym
The outdoor pool and gym are located on the third floor terrace. Around the pool is a bar, tables and lounge chairs. The view of downtown is fun. There is no hot tub.
The gym looks out on the pool area and is a pretty standard hotel gym.
Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge is located on the 2nd Floor (along with the conference rooms). Breakfast is served in the morning (though Diamond elites can also take breakfast in the restaurant on the Ground Floor). Evening drinks and snacks are available from 5:30-8:30 PM.
Soft drinks are available throughout the day. During the evening drink time, alcohol is free and served by the attentive staff (no self service).
Restaurant
The onsite restaurant is the James St Bar + Kitchen. The bar has an entrance on the street and is open air at times.
Behind the bar is the restaurant portion. As a Diamond elite, you can have the buffet breakfast in the restaurant or in the Executive Lounge. It is mostly the same food at both places.
Service
It is clear that management has emphasized customer service. Every staff went out of their way to say hello and make sure everything was alright.
Our first night some treats were left in the room.
A very basic turn down service was offered every night; literally just turning down the sheets and a chocolate. No new towels or cleaning. But still more than most hotels.
Overall I was quite impressed by the DoubleTree Northbridge Perth. I think it is a strange branding decision to have it a DoubleTree. I think it would be better positioned as a Canopy by Hilton. It is a trendy neighborhood with brand new construction. The DoubleTree branding doesn’t do the property justice.