We've moved!

Hi everyone, it's been a nice run here. Now we'll be blogging at a new home. Be sure to bookmark and update any links if you've been so kind to link us in the past.

This site will still live on but all new content will be at the new place, where we'll have the latest news of Clarion Suites Gateway.

http://bit.ly/GatewayNews

Clarion Suites Gateway named one of Melbourne’s top hotels

Clarion Suites Gateway is one of the leading providers of accommodation in Melbourne CBD, according to the world’s largest travel review website TripAdvisor.

Since achieving a top 15 ranking for Melbourne accommodation on TripAdvisor a year ago, Clarion Suites has retained its position in the face of competition from over 200 other Melbourne hotels.

Clarion Suites Gateway offers stylish accommodation in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, right next to the Yarra River and within walking distance of many of the city’s best attractions.

With 122 beautifully appointed rooms, Clarion Suites Gateway combines four and a half-star full hotel services with all suite style accommodation and modern amenities.

In addition to studio rooms, one bedroom and two bedroom suites, Clarion Suites Gateway features meeting and conference facilities, an indoor heated swimming pool, a sun deck, restaurant and bar.

Located on the ground floor of the hotel is the Williams Bar & Café – a Melbourne CBD restaurant offering an affordable selection of modern international flavours in a contemporary style setting.

For return customers, the Melbourne CBD hotel runs the One William Club, an in-house loyalty program designed to reward guests with a range of benefits. Clarion Suites Gateway is also part of the Choice Privileges rewards program, which allows members to receive special treatment and discounts at hotels all over the world.

Original on PRWeb

Derby Day, Flemington, Melbourne

We spent the day out at Flemington last week to capture some of the goings on around the track.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WTC Wharf, Melbourne 19/10/11 Grand Opening

WTC Wharf Opening

An exciting lifestyle and dining complex on the northbank, WTC Wharf (aka World Trade Centre) was officially launched by Premier Ted Baillieu this 19 Oct 2011 and will be supported by a new pedestrian and cycling link from Batman Park to Docklands - including a proposed new pontoon path under the Charles Grimes Bridge.

Premier Ted Baillieu (on the right) officially launched the WTC Wharf

 
''The best cities are the one's that embrace their natural waterfronts,'' he said.
He said a new WTC water taxi service would commence next month on a six month trial.
The water taxi will operate from Thursday to Sunday from WTC Wharf every 15 minutes and travel between the ANZ Centre at Docklands and Federation Square.

Source: The Age Continue Reading

WTC Wharf opening

The entire promenade is transformed into a sophisticated lounge bar, inviting guests to experience the beauty of riverside dining, WTC Wharf style. VIP guests were treated to a variety of signature culinary delights from the diverse range of restaurants at WTC Wharf, including Moorish Lebanese hand-made pastries from Byblos, Harvey bay scallops from the seafood supremo's, Wilson's Boathouse, The Wharf Hotel's famous spit roasted pork roll, Peking duck pancakes from River's Edge Events and a touch of the sweet & sour with Kobe Jones Riverside Teppanyaki's popular mixed Nigiri.

Moorish lebanese hand-made pastries from Byblos

A unique music performance by DJ Ruby Rose with a 16 piece live orchestra, composed by artistic genius Thomas Fitzgerald and Avante Garde dancers.

DJ Ruby Rose, Thomas Fitzgerald and Avante Garde music performance

View Full Album

Address Building B No 679
18-38 Siddeley Street
Docklands VIC 3005
WTC Wharf Website

To get there Clarion Suites Gateway is a few tram stops away from the doorstop of WTC Wharf.
From William St tram stop, take the Route 109 tram towards Port Melbourne
or take the Route 112 tram towards St Kilda and stop at 123 Flinders St/ Spencer St.

On Your Own – Immigration Museum, Melbourne

During the late 19th century Britain sent over 100,000 child migrants across the British Empire.

From the 1860s, more than 100,000 children were sent from Britain across the British Empire and as many as 7,500 children came to Australia. They were sent by charitable and religious organisations with government support.

Child migration schemes changed the lives of these children and their families dramatically.  Story of Hugh McGowan, one of the Britain’s child immigrant

Born in Glasgow, McGowan was abandoned by his single mother at the age of two, and spent the next nine years in the strict Quarrier orphanage.

Continue reading

A collaboration between the Australian National Maritime Museum and National Museums Liverpool, UK. This exhibition is supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.

Visit britainschildmigrants.com and share your memories on the exhibition message board.

Clarion Suites Gateway conveniently located in Melbourne CBD is just right opposite the Immigration Museum, Melbourne.

Happy Hour in Melbourne CBD, Flinders St & William St

Cheers and drink up!

Christmas Promotion



Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle

The Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle is a great way to see Melbourne's attractions, and it's free! Even better, Stop 11 is just a few steps from Clarion Suites Gateway’s entrance.

• See the Tourist Shuttle Route
• Download a Tourist Shuttle Brochure (PDF 1MB)

This popular, free service operates daily every 30 minutes between 9.30am and 4.30pm, excluding Christmas Day. On Labour Day and Anzac Day, the service operates every 30 minutes between 1pm and 4.30pm. The complete trip takes approximately 1.5 hours and includes an informative on-board commentary as you travel around Melbourne.

Hop on and hop off the bus at any of the 13 stops at key city destinations including:

• Harbour Town Shopping Centre
• the Docklands precinct
• Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens
• Queen Victoria Market
• Melbourne Aquarium
• Immigration Museum
• Southbank
• the Shrine of Remembrance
• Royal Botanic Gardens
• Chinatown

Please note: Stop 10 Docklands Stadium and Victoria Harbour is currently not in service. Stop 3 Sports Precinct is not in service on MCG event days.

Planning for the big 14! Anniversary promotion

It is happening again. In February 2012, Clarion Suites Gateway celebrates its fourteen birthday. We will be 14 years old in a few months and we are proud of what we have achieved over these years. To celebrate our anniversary, we could do any number of things. For instance, we could organize a huge giveaway—something along the line $14 per room/per night promotion*—what do you think?

Celebrating 14th anniversary - Clarion Suites Gateway, Melbourne CBD Hotel

*limited rooms available

Melbourne Cup 2011 - Fascinator/ Hats Style

One of the world’s greatest race days are just around the corner and the best part of the event is dressing up – maybe for the ladies! Dress, clutch, heels and head piece! We have a few suggestions for your head piece style on the track…

Lily M Hats

Are all about style and sophistication, so you can turn head for all the right reasons. Shop online or find Lynda and Brenda at these Craft Market Australia events:

• Werribee Mansion – 8 Oct 2011
• Flemington Racecourse – 9 Oct 2011 

Fascinatu
Your thought: The fascinator shouldn’t cost more than our dress. We second that!
Thus, we recommend Fascinatu which carries elegant head piece at affordable price.

For those who are coming would like to splurge, do check out:

Serena Lindeman Millinery
Other than focusing on this season’s popular colour blocking of bold, striking shades, Lindeman has focused on creating both “larger, looser beret shapes”, as well as more structured classic pieces. Price: $300-600.
Room 602, Nicholas Building
37 Swanston St, Melbourne

Paris Kyne
This season for Paris Kyne everything is based on birds of paradise and he expects bright colours to be the main trend of the season. Price: $360-410 or Custom made up to $1000.
Shop 6, Village Way Arcade
501 Toorak Rd, Toorak

Melbourne Festivals - Our Free Picks

When deciding among all Melbourne Festival’s happenings, it’s hard to go wrong. But we’ve combed through the extensive list and found a few free art you won’t want to miss.

STROLL
Angels-Demons. Parade
What? This October these mischievous monstrosities descend on Melbourne, as the city's CBD becomes a playground for a flock of fiendish cherubs.
Why? For the first time in the Festival's history Angels-Demons. Parade Bringing Melbourne Festival to the streets.
When? Thu 6 - Sat 22 Oct
Where? Along Swanston Street and St Kilda Road the demonic angels - or angelic demons? - will manifest themselves, surveying the city's occupants with otherworldly eyes. Admission is free.

VIEW
Cacophony: The Art of Conflict
What? A wash of flickering lights that makes it look like a rave’s going in inside - maybe.
Why? The opposing walls of Hamer Hall and the State Theatre turned from banal concrete into a fantastical playground of dancing, swirling and seemingly competing projections. At times random, at times coalescing into shapes of great beauty, there's a story being told here, if you'd care to sit down and watch for a while.
When? Thu 6 - Sat 22 Oct; 8pm - late
Where? the Arts Centre, exterior 100 St Kilda Road

CHATTER
Come Together
What? A series of talks with artists moderated by the ABC’s Amanda Smith
Why? giving you access to the ideas, thoughts, inspirations and lives of the artists involved in this year’s Festival.
When? Thu 13, Fri 14, Sat 15, Thu 20 & Fri 21 Oct at 1pm
Where? Festival Lounge, the Arts Centre, Café Vic, 100 St Kilda Road. More info on topics. Participation is free.

SNACK
Melbourne Festival Lounge
What? Take a break from the action for feast on the custom menu.
Why? A secluded oasis of festivity, friends, performance and indulgence; this is your Festival Lounge and a new place to call home. We couldn’t agree more.
When? Tue - Sun 10.30am – late. Closed on Monday.
Where? the Arts Centre, Café Vic 100 St Kilda Road. Info at 1300 182 183.

iPhone 4S in Australia

Hooray! The iPhone 4S is the first iPhone that’s going to hit Australian shelves at the same time as the US. Pre-order unlocked phone only is available for pre-order online on Oct 7, Friday and in store at 8am on Oct 14, 2011 Friday.

iPhone 4S Pricing?

Country	16GB	32 GB	64 GB
US	USD$199	USD$299	USD$399
	AUS$211	AUS$317	AUS$422
AUS	AUS$799	AUS$899	AUD$999

Not (a~hem) apple to apple comparison
It looks much pricier here in Australia but that those prices in US are carrier-subsidised and the phones will be network-locked and require purchase of a contract. Even so, Apple’s starter pricing of $799 for the 16GB model outright is a lot higher, and the pattern continues with the other models.

Haven't heard about plan details for the new iPhone 4S, but will definitely look forward to that.

Good news is the voice recognition in Siri will be available in beta on iPhone 4S in English (localized for US, UK and Australia). Hope Siri can pick up the accent and we'll see if Siri can answer "Who is the fairest of them all?"

While the iPhone 4S adds HSDPA support, there’s no option for LTE (long-term evolution), so heavy-data user won’t be able to take advantage of Telstra’s recently-launched LTE network or Optus' planned upgrades next year. Too bad we can't take advantage of the faster network to compliment iCloud that automatically sync all your Apple products via your phone connection. However, LTE in Australia is barely released and is not available from Telstra for phones. Hopefully they can have this on the next iPhone and dramatically increase the battrery life span since there is not much difference in terms of battery for this 4S upgrade.

There’s also no hardware support for the HD Voice network which Telstra has deployed, so no chance of increasing call quality there.

Finally, we’ve known for quite a while that iTunes Match, allows you to store your entire current iTunes collection including music you have ripped from CD’s to Apple iCloud service. This allows you to then push that music to all your iOS devices - would be a US-only service. Oh well, not the first time Apple launch US only services.

Now, shall I upgrade from 4 to 4S? Look at the iPhone 4S vs iPhone 4 comparison chart below:

	iPhone 4S	iPhone 4
Processor	Dual-core Apple A5	Apple A4
Display	3.5-inch IPS 960 x 640	3.5-inch IPS 960 x 640
Primary camera	8 megapixel AF with flash and f/2.4 aperture	5 megapixel AF with flash
Secondary camera	VGA	VGA
Video recording	1080p at 30fps, optional iMovie	720p at 30fps, optional iMovie
Cellular	Hybrid GSM / CDMA "World Phone", Bluetooth 4.0	Quadband GSM, pentaband HSPA
WiFi	802.11b/g/n	802.11b/g/n
Orientation sensing	Accelerometer, digital compass, gyroscope	Accelerometer, compass, gyroscope
FaceTime video calling	Yes	Yes
SIM standard	Micro sim	Micro sim
Battery life	Up to 8 hours talk time on 3G	Up to 7 hours talk time on 3G,
	14 hours talk time on 2G	14 hours on 2G
	Up to 6 hours data on 3G
	Up to 9 hours data on WiFi	Up to 10 hours data on WiFi
	Up to 40 hours audio	Up to 40 hours audio
	Up to 10 hours video	Up to 10 hours video
Weight	140 grams / 4.9 oz	137 grams / 4.8 oz.
Dimensions	115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm	115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm

That is an Apple to Apple comparison, how about iPhone 4S compare to other smart phones in the market? I reckon Samsung Galaxy S II, the twin from another manufacturer would be a better choice in terms of specs but the Apple Apps still beats it.

See you in store iPhone 4S!

Aquarium Melbourne

Where else in Melbourne can you spot a turtle, a whale, and a shark, all in the span of a few hours? The Melbourne Aquarium is home to 2.2 million litre Oceanarium’s residents such as Grey Nurse sharks and Sandbar Whalers, they are nothing like you have ever seen before.

The first Gentoo penguin eggs of the season have just been laid at Melbourne Aquarium to penguin couple KT and Mawson, both three years old! Photo from Melbourne Aquarium Facebook Album

Don't you want to check out the cute and cheeky Gentoo penguin who just laid the first egg this season? 

Another reason for you to head down today?

Club Penguin is offering an exclusive deal for their Facebook friends. Mention the "Melbourne Aquarium Facebook page" to receive one free of charge child admission with a paying adult today and tomorrow only!

Stop by the well-stocked gift shop and the cafe, which offers yummy choices (soup, sandwiches, pizza, coffee drinks) for hungry bellies.

Clarion Suites Gateway is less than 100 meters (3 mins walk) away from the Melbourne Aquarium!

Eureka Climb - 13 Nov 2011



Screen shot from Rocky Balboa

 You thought Rocky’s sprint up the museum steps was a tough act to follow.

But it’s nothing compared to Eureka climb, which meet at the Eureka Tower. Known as the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere is now leading vertical races that get your blood flowing better than any boxing saga.

To participate:
Register online here   

How much does it cost to enter?

• Individual – $50.00 (walker) or $60.00 (climber)
• Team – $180.00 (walker) or $220.00 (climber)
• All entrants must also raise a minimum pledge of $35 for individuals and $140 for teams.

*Early bird discounts ($5 off for individuals and $20 off a team registration) apply until Friday 2nd September.

What are the categories I can enter into?

• Walker- A walker is not timed, non competitive and ineligible for fastest time prizes.
• Climber- A timed competitive entrant, eligible to receive an accurate race time and prizes. Climbers will start at the Eureka Tower Concourse and finish on level 88.
• Team- Consists of 4 team members all starting at the same time (but do not have to all finish at the same time). ALL team members must compete in either the climbing or walking category but not both.

The morning meet-up time is a punishing 7.15 a.m., so you might want to say no to happy hour/ snooze button. But you’ll find this early-morning sweat workout is worth one less beer. And, of course, you’ll feel the burn when running up those (endless) stairs.

If Scott, the fastest record in 2010 took 8:30 minutes to get up there. How long will you take? 

 

Competitors take the stairs in Melbourne's Eureka Tower. Photo: Sebastian Costanzo

 More details on Eureka Climb website


Brownlow Medal 2011 - Best Dressed

We all heard, Dane Swan won the Brownlow Medal last night. Sitting comfortably with 6 votes ahead of St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo.

Dane Swan poses with the Brownlow Medal (Quinn Rooney: Getty Images)

And listen up! The best dress from the blue carpet:

Who is your pick?

Get to know us...Casual Friday with Chloe & Thomas

At Clarion Suites Gateway we are proud of our team – we’d love you to get to know them a little better. This month, we spoke to Front Office Manager Chloe Forbes and Senior Assistant Manager Thomas Reichenbach to get their perspective on working at Clarion.

CHLOE FORBES – newly promoted to Front Office Manager

• How long have you been at Clarion Suites Gateway? 23rd April 2007.
• What is the best thing about working at Clarion Suites Gateway? Working with such great people who you can have a laugh with and make the day fly by.
• Most unusual/funniest request from a hotel guest? Where do I begin… there have been plenty over the years. One that is frequent is earplugs for those noisy neighbours.
• Aside from working at Clarion Suites Gateway, what would your dream job be? I aspire to managing a resort located on a tropical island so basically living in paradise and getting paid for it.
• What is your favourite website and why? Google, it gives me all the answers.
• Any hotel insider tips that you can share? Be friendly and polite.

THOMAS REICHENBACH – newly promoted to Senior Assistant Manager

• How long have you been at Clarion Suites Gateway? I started as a Backpacker in April 2007, so 4.5 years. Wow the time goes by so quick.
• What is the best thing about working at Clarion Suites Gateway? The work atmosphere is great. The contact with the guest and colleagues is the way it should be.
• Most unusual/funniest request from a hotel guest? We booked Riverview but the train and the cars are blocking the view, can you do something?  Maybe stop the traffic?
• Aside from working at Clarion Suites Gateway, what would your dream job be? Hotel tester, travelling the world and stay in many hotels as possible and write a review for a website/ magazine.
• What is your favourite website and why? Topgear.com and tripadvisor.com.
• Any hotel insider tips that you can share? Be as friendly as possible on check in, not only in a hotel, also at the airport.

The Royal Melbourne Show - 24 Sept till 4 Oct 2011 at Melbourne Showground

The Royal Show is

1. Queen Elizabeth and her funky bunch.
2. brilliant wordplay.
3. an 11 days event showcasing the best of the country in the city with Animals & livestock, award-winning food & wine, arts & crafts, carnival rides, showbags, free live entertainment, spectacular fireworks and much more.

If you answered 3, you’re either a good guesser or you’ve heard that The Royal Melbourne Show is around the corner. This year, they are back with amazing new attractions and entertainment, thousands of animals and more free interactive activities and displays on offer.

Here are some useful tips before you go:
Transportation

·    By train: Be sure to look out the window to be livestock bring herded and crammed into cattle trucks on the way home. Check out the Show Entry and Travel Saver package that includes public transport.

·    By car: Parking fee is $15

Upon Arrival

·    Look out for the Information Booth to make sure you don’t miss out on the free Arena entertainment.

·    Don’t forget to get yourself some show bags, ranges from $1 for the Blinky Bill Bag, up to $10,000 for the Grand Ridge Ultimate Shed Showbag (Herald Sun). I like the Yarra Valley Regional Food Group selling for $35 to taste some local food and wine.

(including Kookaberry raspberry jam, Australian Harvest organic paste, Yarra coffee, Unforgettable products, meringues, Ricci's Bikkies turkish bread, Gateway Estate wine, Blossoms Organics spice blend and Heathmont honey).

·    In order to get into all the fun inside the Royal Melbourne Show, first you have to pay an admission fee. The Ticket to Ride fare seems to be a good deal as you get back most of it on the rides. Full details are on http://www.royalshow.com.au/tickets-general-admission.asp.


Map of the area (PDF)

Enjoy~~~!

What's for lunch? - Williams Bar & Cafe

In search of a sleek city alternative to the ubiquitous steakhouse and assembly line grab-and-go joints in Melbourne CBD? Head down to this modern contemporary lunch spot inside Clarion Suites Gateway. Take the boss or overworked business clients. Or simply visit the polished hot bar where coffee flows morning and afternoon.

Check out our new lunch menu just out from the oven. To keep things fresh, we change our menu every 2 weeks.