Where the Capital's History Plays On

"I came to Canberra for a parliamentary committee hearing and chose on a colleague's recommendation - I expected comfort and found something far closer to civic poetry. The Griffin Prospect Suite held a view I have thought about on every drive home since, and the hush of the gaming floor on a Wednesday evening reminded me of the great clubs of Collins Street in their better days. I have stayed in many hotels that call themselves grand; this one simply is." The casino made each evening especially memorable.

"My delegation visited Canberra for meetings at the National Archives and the property's location made every morning commute feel almost ceremonial - walking past the lake with the War Memorial on the horizon is not an experience one forgets. What surprised me most was the dining room: the Monaro lamb dish showed a depth of place-specific thinking that is rare even in Japan, where we take regional cuisine very seriously. understands that a capital city's hotel should carry some of the capital's own meaning."

"Having spent years working in heritage restoration across the British Isles, I find most ‚heritage hotels' are little more than old furniture in new rooms - was the first property in some years to genuinely move me. The pressed-tin ceilings on the gaming floor, the encaustic tiles in the terrace rooms, the longcase clock ticking beside the grand staircase: these are not decorations, they are arguments. I stayed four nights intending to stay two, and I booked again before the taxi reached the airport."