Joel Stein, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, once said that heaven is totally overrated. Continuous cloud cover and listening to people play the harp seems boring.

Heaven needs to step it up a bit, he said. It needs to be more like somewhere you can’t wait to go – like a luxury hotel.

When I walked into the plush surrounds of the Adelphi Hotel, I thought, I have died and this is heaven. From the subtle but exceptional service of the staff to the famous pool and smartly designed rooms, the Adelphi lives up to its international reputation. A former warehouse, the space has been expertly designed by internationally renowned architect Denton Corker Marshall. The pool is notorious among savvy travellers for a reason – the glass bottom is suspended over the street nine stories up, creating an exhilarating feeling of vertigo while doing your morning laps.

IN THE HEART OF MELBOURNE

Located in the heart of Melbourne’s art and business precinct, the building is recognised as an award-winning architectural icon. Not just a pretty face, the Adelphi also offers a spa, gym, bar, breakfast in bed with deep, dreamy mattresses, and wireless everywhere. Need to borrow a laptop to check your email on the rooftop terrace?  Or an iPod stocked with music for your workout? Maybe you have a craving for a fresh apple? No problem. The Adelphi staff is there for every guest every minute of every day.

The Adelphi also offers luxurious Kevin Murphy bathroom products, Foxtel and pay-per-view movies, 42’ LCD flat screens, evening weather reports delivered to the room, and complimentary coffee and T2 tea. Dining is a must at Adelphi’s restaurant Ezard, which boasts an award-winning menu and wine list. 

THE SPA

Make sure to compliment your Adelphi stay with a visit to the hotel spa. Each experience begins with a foot spa and “smudging”, an ancient Aboriginal tradition, to ground each guest and clear the energy in the room. The spa session then begins, creating a feeling of complete relaxation and reharmonization. To keep everything balanced, the spa offers special discount packages. Inquire about the special offers upon arrival.

AMAZING ARCHITECTURE

The Adelphi is committed to giving each guest a special, refreshing and different experience. Quite apart from the obvious architectural qualities, the Adelphi is “inspired by an ideal of essentialism and rigour, a passion to create a new language for hotels of the future.” While I’m not sure exactly what that language is, I’m convinced they speak it in heaven.