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| Click here to check out the oh so lovely Langham Hotel |
Once upon a time, back in 2013, CinderAnna was elbow deep in nappies, toddler tantrums and Wiggles songs. Residing in the Melbourne ‘burbs, she was also hugely pregnant, exhausted and wildly fantasising about a full nights sleep, a hot meal that she didn’t have to share, and a fairy Godmother to give her a little bit of much needed pampering.
And so she plotted.
CinderAnna called upon her old school friend, Princess V, who was also 100 months pregnant with her second baby. The two mummies were exhausted. Chasing after another small child on swollen feet meant that they were both fast running out of steam.
They needed a ‘staycation’….Somewhere close, somewhere fancy and somewhere fabulous, to mark this special time. (And.get.some.bloody.sleep!!!)
She waved her toddler’s, silver foil, magic wand and it was booked……
The Langham, baby!
The two weary mummies spent a ridiculous night of lusciousness at the The Langham Hotel, on Southbank, in Melbourne.
CINDERANNA DOES GIRLS’ NIGHT IN – 2011
Sleep.
One whole night.
Uninterrupted.
And hey…if this was to include a little bit of luxury…and chocolate…and white, starched sheets that someone else had laundered…I was soooo NOT complaining.
Sure, The Langham really does have it all.
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| “Hello Melbourne”…right there…out the window of the Melba Restaurant…(Photo courtesy of The Langham Hotel)
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But for us, at that point in time, we actually wanted very little, and quite frankly, as guests at The Langham, we wanted for very little.This is truly how our ‘Girls’ night in’ went….
Husbands home. Smother toddler in kisses. Hit the town (well…train/waddle to South Bank).
Air kisses (cos we’re so ooh la la fancy) for gorgeous, forever friend.
Stop.
Listen to the silence in wonder and awe.
Listen to the silence in wonder and awe.
Plunk into over sized bath filled with lavish bubbles.
Slip into fluffy cloud of robeness.
Hoist body on to giant bed and rest swollen cankles high on their own postcode of cushions.
“Talk, talk, talk” (with another grown up; who replies in full sentences without saying ‘poo’ and/or ‘Peppa Pig”).
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| My only complaint : scales in the bathroom 2 Pregnant women. Really? REALLY??!! |
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| Yep…ROYALTY I tell you! |
Order room service (absolute decadence sitting up to our own private table with stunning silverware, flowers…and…well…PJ’s and hot chips). Concluding with an in-house movie of which I have absolutely no idea what it was because I possibly fell asleep within minutes.
A whole night.
I slept like a baby (despite the fact that we all know that this is the most ridiculous statement ever, and clearly they haven’t met my baby!!)
IT. WAS. BLISS.
CINDERANNA DOES GIRLS’ NIGHT ‘OUT’ – 2015
And so we returned; two years later.
The beautiful fairy godmother, Tara Bishop from The Langham, heard my cries of woe from the tower and arranged for a night to remember; CinderAnna and her pal, Princess V, were going to ‘the ball.’ Now the husbands were at home with 2 babes apiece, and we could SPRINT to the train station. Hang on…who am I kidding?…heels, girlfriends – let’s call it a ‘spritely’ dash of freedom.
As they say, ‘a change is as good as a holiday’.
This time, we were no longer pregnant, but we were desperate for a night of relaxation and sophistication…and this time…something cold, alcoholic and possibly bubbling…not too fussy. Responsibly of course; Princess V had returned to corporate work and was required upright at her desk the following morning and I would be back with my two wildly gorge tornadoes by lunchtime.
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| It’s beginning to look a lot like it….Capturing the magic. |
And so here we were. I floated through that lobby on a cloud of ginger flower scent; an immediate sign that this place oozed elegance and sophistication…so far from the smells of burnt toast and nappies that I felt my mind unwind and my beating heart slow. We were here; the city of Melbourne; buzzing with culture and nightlife and food and music…all right there under our noses (literally)…But you know what?We already had it all. Right here, at The Langham. This palace was our complete holiday destination.
I can tell you, the Langham ticked all our boxes.
OK ; so we were spoilt to the max.
Oh…did I mention CLUB LOUNGE??
Sure; it is a luxury, but you’ve got to do it at least once (or more…please…more) in a lifetime. Try a Sunday night on for size; you might be surprised with the value.
It was sooo time to get out of my mummy ‘active-wear’ uniform and slap some glam on!
If you are looking for luxe deluxe (and then some); this is it, my friend…
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| So here’s cheers from the ‘Ladies’ in the Club Lounge |
Words cannot describe….
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| The view from our window…no…seriously…sparkling, clean windows!! |
Amazing, tasteful surrounds, a million miles from the shrieks of the playground…
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| Beautiful shot courtesy of The Langham Hotel |
OH YES, WE BOOKED IT; WE DESERVED IT! : THE CHUAN SPAYep; we really went all out. It wasn’t just a massage; it was the whole ambience. We followed it up with a fleeting moment in the (breathe, breathe, hot!!) steam room, then a dip in the breathtaking swimming pool…spa…swimming pool…spa…white robe…
Peace from hectic family and work lives; no dishes, no squabbles over the iPad and no washing to fold.
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| And those beds are just giant pillows, I swear! (Photo courtesy of The Langham Hotel) |
Precious time with a friend; not a distracted five minute phone call:
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| V and I getting our ‘Princess’ on… |
And of course, The Melba Restaurant…
The smells alone had me, but seriously D.I.V.I.N.E! The seafood blew me out of the water…he he…but the Indian naan bread made fresh with your requested fillings…sensational! A banquet fit for a…well…Princess!! As for the “there goes the waistline” dessert. Yes; there really is a chocolate fountain…it took all my good breeding (thanks, Mum) just to hold back from sticking my fingers in it!
We had planned a cheeky ‘we may not get this chance again’ nightcap cocktail at the Aria Bar. But you know what? It took all our strength to roll ourselves back to our rooms. Next time, Aria…look out!
And…rumour even has it, that there is a Fitness Studio in the building…we will take your word for it, Langham; we were on ‘go-slow’…next time, I promise. Here’s a pic that was taken of someone else feeling energetic…
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| Yep..if you are wondering..that’s definitely not me… This photo is the closest I got…(Photo courtesy of The Langham Hotel) |
And so it seems Cinderanna really did get to go to the ball, but this time she took herself home to her palatial quarters by 10pm (sorry party people). Her Girl’s Night at the Langham was a true fairytale, with glamour and glitz, but also much needed peace and relaxation.
And so, the next day (late checkout of 12!!) she packed her bag into the carriage (metro, that is), and headed back to her real world, where her two, cheeky, cherubs were waiting for her.
My advice?
Just book it. Go see for yourself.
Take a friend and split the costs; it’s a world that I promise you would like to visit…..
I will be back…
if only to find my glass slipper, damn it!
The Langham Melbourne
1 Southgate Avenue
Southbank
Melbourne
(03) 8696 8888
Some exciting links to more wonderful Langham possibilities….Gorgeous accommodation packages
Sesame Street High Tea with the kids at The Aria Bar
A meal to remember at The Melba Restaurant
* And just as an FYI :
I was incredibly lucky to be given this special night, courtesy of The Langham Hotel, but I can assure you that these opinions are completely, absolutely, 100% my own.
A huge thank you to the staff here for making me feel amazing and truly valued.
A sincere thanks, also, to Tara Bishop; for seeing something special in my small and relatively new blog and giving a newcomer a ‘go’.
Eternally grateful.
xox
#lovinglangham
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