The Motley Hotel on Bridge Road sits at the former site of a seamstress’s workshop. And it has many visual nods to its previous tenant, a local seamstress and costumier named Mary Parker.
The facade is hidden behind heritage shopfronts, but step inside the lobby and you’re met with (unapologetically) clashing patterns and textures. Across eight levels, there are 80 guest rooms (including one suite), a rooftop bar and an all-day restaurant, Ms Parker, on street level.
Guest rooms are decked out in an explosion of fabric, pattern and texture. Think a smart Glen plaid wallpaper and bright orange chairs, roughed up by a textured raw-rock feature wall. While standard rooms feature crisp white bedding, deluxe rooms are inspired by Parker herself. Mary’s Room is a motley of monochromatic stripes, brushstrokes and other bold black-and-white patterns. And there’s more than bare necessities in the Tiger Room where jungle-themed wallpaper matches kitsch Camilla bed linen. There’s a complimentary minibar in each room, and all rooms are stocked with Mr Smith bath products. Expect views of either the CBD skyline, Bridge Road or the leafy surrounds, from Abbotsford through to the Dandenong Ranges.
There’s a tram stop right out the front of the hotel (perfect for travelling Tigers fans), as well as a valet service for those with a car.
The restaurant, Ms Parker, recently appointed Paul Millist (who has spent 10-plus years heading up kitchens at JW Marriott hotels in Hong Kong, Thailand and the United States) to lead the kitchen. It’s open to the public seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, with dinner sittings on Friday and Saturday nights.
The dinner menu plays with nostalgic Aussie flavours. There’s an ’nduja sausage inspired by a Dagwood dog, served with Davidson plum sauce and mustard; kangaroo tartare on a Vegemite cracker; and apricot pavlova with coconut sorbet, which is also available for breakfast. The signature is a dish of bone marrow served with a toasted slice of Akimbo sourdough and fermented daikon.
For lunch, try the Motdog, a pork and fennel sausage on house-made Japanese milk bun, or a Korean-inspired fried chicken sandwich with gochujang and white kimchi.
On the fifth floor, casual terrace bar Threads serves up a playful cocktail menu and small bites, with views looking over the rooftops of Richmond.
The Motley Hotel
205 Bridge Road, Richmond
03 9046 2300
