Vibe is an occasionally hit and miss mid range 4 star group of properties. There are currently nine hotels across Australia, with Subiaco in Perth opening in September 2020. Thankfully, this one is mostly a hit.
Let's talk location first. An inner suburb of Perth in Western Australia and just 3 kms from the CBD, its like Sydney's Paddington or Melbourne's South Yarra with small boutiques and high-end cosmetics shops amid the stylish cafes, wine bars, trattorias and gastropubs. 14 km from the airport, it's a great spot to be in the city, but not.
The hotel itself is lovely. Bright, spotless clean rooms with The Storehouse, a rooftop restaurant and bar right next to an outdoor rooftop pool, open Tuesday to Saturday (bar is closed Sunday Monday so make alternative arrangements if you want a drink on those days). St Marks Road Co. will take care of your coffee needs on the ground floor, but for us, the coffee was a bit inconsistent, which is not ideal. We were a bit goldilocks with one too hot, the other not hot enough and others just right. They offer a 24-hour front desk but on check in, there was only one person working so we were a little delayed. As expected, free WiFi is available and you can arrange private parking for $15 a day which is reasonable.
At the hotel, rooms come with a desk, a flat-screen TV and an adequate bathroom and air conditioning. They are tastefully done, without too much fuss, dual rain showers and hand helds, big bowl sinks and reasonable amenities. Beds are super comfy and workspace is big enough to be actually able to work. Woodgrain finishes and dark carpets, which were very clean, and block out curtains for the one Sunday morning when you've had too much Saturday night fun.
There is an espresso machine in the room,and finally someone has chosen some decent glassware to have a glass of wine in the room. While not the cheapest hotel we could find it was reasonable value for money. What would we change? A better check in experience would be helpful, especially at the time of the day when you know check ins are arriving. One person on the desk is not enough at peak times.
A pleasant enough stay and for what it is, it offers everything it promises.
The Vibe Hotel Perth is at 9 Alvan Street, Subiaco Perth, WA 6008
Rooms from $209