Spotlight On: The Como Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel

We chat to The Como Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel’s Kate Bastow about the hotel’s feminine influence, meetings next to a baby grand piano, and how to level-up your team building activities.

The Como Melbourne is a Chapel Street mainstay. You’ll often see its name pop up at the end of a Channel Ten program, and there’s a high chance you can rack up some celebrity spottings if you hang around there enough (not that we encourage that). And while the world seems to bustle around it, The Como Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel remains a place of luxurious calm amidst the chaos.

For The Como Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel, the feminine has always been the focus, the muse, and the style. While it’s a hotel for all genders, Sofitel realise that women make up a large proportion of their business.
“Women represent 43% of business travelers and make 75% of leisure travel decisions”, says Bastow. “Luxury and upscale hotels have largely been designed by men for men. Yet, the number of women staying at these hotels for both business and leisure has tripled over the last 10 years.”

It’s these statistics that made Sofitel hone in on their values, shifting their approach to ensuring women feel more welcome and happy.  “Our key focus for inspiring the female traveler has always been the importance of feeling safe and comfortable,” says Bastow.

So, how do they actually pull this off? As soon as a female guest arrives, she can craft her stay around her tastes. “She will be able to tailor her stay, from the location and size of her room, for example. She might prefer the cosy comfort of a smaller room, as well as a host of other special attentions, such as robes and slippers in her size, a full-length mirror, skirt hangers, a wide range of herbal teas.”

This attention to detail and difference benefits everyone. The Como Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel prides itself on being a boutique hotel and a unique experience for visitors. Bastow describes it as “part of a collection of boutique hotels dedicated to lovers of life, literature and culture.” Describing each MGallery by Sofitel hotel as “a gateway into another world,” they’re different in every city they reside. Each MGallery By Sofitel hotel is inspired by its surrounds, to give the visitor an authentic taste of the place they’re in. “You’ll find unique Melbourne touches like pour over coffee on arrival, supplied by local roasters,” says Gibney.

If you’re hosting a corporate meeting, it’s time to get more creative. The Como Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel boasts a penthouse meeting space that is split over two floors and features “a baby grand piano – it’s ideal for intimate cocktail and dinner gatherings, or high-end board meetings that will really impress.” A baby grand piano will surely do.

Looking to level-up your team-building activities? Leave the trust-falls at the door and do something different. As The Como is a sponsor of The Project, “if you’re looking for a truly unique team building experience, we’ve got a few celebrity connections!” Bastow says.

Host your next event at The Como Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel, or browse all function venues on VenueNow.