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| East Hotel |
The East Hotel is centrally located in the vibrant suburb of Kingston, a short drive to the major attractions that Canberra offers such as Parliament House, Questacon, National Art Gallery and the War Memorial. It is a recently built 6 storey high stylish apartment hotel. Its premium location places it a short walking distance to the fashionable retail and restaurant hubs of Manuka and Kingston.
The informality of the six-storey high East Hotel is exemplified by the friendly service provided by the staff. The staff are un-intrusive but ever ready to assist.
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| East Hotel Lobby |
The lobby houses a constantly changing display of art works. Currently there is a 10 metre projection wall featuring the very famous Heide Smith's latest photographic collection - 'A Portrait of Canberra'. Hanging on the lobby walls are unique mixed media on steel artworks by Simon Wilde.
The lobby houses several computers and free internet access for guest use, as well as jars of lollies for sustenance! The free range newsagency provides a wide range of magazines and newspapers that can be read in the lobby or taken up to your room and returned later for other guests use.
The 140 vibrant guest rooms are a mix of stylish studios and apartments and are superbly fitted out. They all provide fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes. The hotel caters for families by providing special two bedroom apartments, featuring kids rooms that offer bunk beds, play table, games, bean bags, kids mini bar, and an XBOX 360.
I stayed in a huge 62 square metre corner apartment. It was very modern and contemporary, with splashes of colour and loads of comfort provided by the seating and lighting fixtures. The walls were adorned by funky artworks, and a large window provided outlooks across Canberra.
The lounge area had a huge 42" flat screen TV, with free to air and Fox channels and over 100 movies to choose from. The work desk provided wired and wi-fi internet access. Docking stations were provided for iPods and iPads. It was good to see how up-to-date the East Hotel is with all the modern technology provided for guests.
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| East Hotel bedroom |
The luxurious bathroom provided separate shower, toilet and bath and vanity area. The bath was actually a spa bath which I enjoyed on several occasions during my stay. It was good to use the lush towels and bath robes provided. The personal amenity products provided were environmentally friendly.
The kitchen was fully stocked with hotplate, oven, microwave, dishwasher, and refrigerator. The kitchen cupboards were stocked with an extensive range of cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery. I did not do any cooking myself during my stay, but it was good to know they were all there if I decided to self-cater. A Nespresso coffee machine, as is provided in all guest rooms, and a range of coffee pods to choose from, made a fresh cup a coffee a delight. The fully stocked mini-bar included locally sourced wine. The laundry cupboards had a full sized washing machine and dryer, iron and ironing board.
A dining table and chairs are provided, and a there was balcony outside the lounge room to enjoy the view and fresh air.
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| East Hotel Gym |
Plenty of secure off-street car parking is provided in a four level underground car park. I noted that the environmentally friendly nature of the East Hotel even extended to the car park, with lighting turned on by motion detectors. This meant that electricity was not being wasted 24 hours a day when not needed.
The hotels Ox Eatery specialises in mouth-watering rotisserie slow cooked meats. This cooking process on the full-imported French rotisserie brings out all the succulent goodness of the meat. The mouth watering meat combined with organic vegetables makes a wonderful meal. The Ox Bar, which specialises in whiskies, is a great informal meeting spot inside or on the terrace. The Ox Deli fronting the lobby provides a range of imported cheeses, cured meats and imported small goods. It also serves real coffee.
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| Ox Bar |
It is evident that the East Hotel is a standout hotel in Canberra. A dedicated team of people has worked hard to make the East Hotel the success that it is. I was fortunate to meet three key team members during my stay.
Dan Bisa, the Managing Director of Bisa Hotels, was born in Canberra and started his working career in the financial world. He has since moved into residential property and serviced apartment development. Dan had the vision of plugging a hole in the accommodation market by building a new style of accommodation that did not previously exist. He turned his vision into reality by building the stylish East Hotel on what was an ugly car park. His aim was to provide a unique memorable Canberra experience for business and leisure travellers far superior to any existing option. He has certainly succeeded in doing this. Each Australian city and town needs more people like Dan to turn visions into reality.
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| East Hotel bikes |
Chris Hansen, the Owner-Manager of the Ox Eatery, is a Canberra local who leads the dedicated team of young people on its staff. The relaxed atmosphere, great food, and friendly staff all make the Ox Eatery an ideal place to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Before staying at the East Hotel I did not realise that it is ranked the No. 1 hotel in Canberra on Tripadvisor. This is a remarkable achievement as the ranking is determined by guest reviews. Since it opened a year ago, the East Hotel has won a swathe of awards, including the Best Suite/Apartment Hotel at the 2013 Australian Hotels Association (AHA) National Awards for Excellence.
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| East Hotel |
East Hotel Contact Details
69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston ACT 2604Phone: +61 2 6295 6925
Email: experience@easthotel.com.au
Website: http://easthotel.com.au/
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