27 Oct Grill’d and Lola Berry at St. Jerome’s – The Hotel

In a somewhat unlikely location sits a hotel created by the Get Notorious group. The idea behind it is glamping, or ‘glamorous camping’, in the middle of the Melbourne CBD. On the rooftop of Melbourne Central to be exact. St. Jerome’s – The Hotel offers a level of luxury for their guests, with even the ‘basic’ canvas tents coming with premium linen, throws and robes, split system air conditioning, and a Sonos Wireless HiFi System to pump out some beats. Unlike many hotels, the esky’s contents of local craft beer is free for the taking, and guests can swap out torch-lit (or in this case, lamp-lit) reading sessions for a night full of movie and TV binging courtesy of Stan if so desired.

There’s plenty of food perks too, including sliders and chips from Grill’d, dessert from Gelato Messina, and discount vouchers for various eateries and entertainment venues around Melbourne. The next morning, a complimentary gourmet breakfast box is delivered to the tents, and coffee fixes can be supplied by the on-site barista.

We began the night with some welcome drinks – Prosecco Spritz with fresh botanicals – served from the General Store, which normally provides extra snacks, drinks, and a communal space for guests to enjoy.

‘Simon Says’ Slider – Grilled Chicken Breast, Avocado, Crispy Trim Bacon, Salad, Relish & Herbed Mayo

Nourish & Flourish Slider – Beef, Avocado, Dijon Mustard, Dill Pickle, Shredded Carrot, Cos Lettuce, Tomato & Egg Mayo, Low Carb Superbun

Garden Goodness Slider – Veggie Pattie with Beetroot, Tasty Cheese, Avocado, Salad, Relish & Herbed Mayo

We were treated to an introduction from nutritionist Lola Berry, then to mini versions of some of Grill’d’s burgers including the Nourish & Flourish, created in conjunction with Lola Berry herself. This juicy and flavoursome burger comes with grass-fed lean beef patty, avocado, Dijon mustard, dill pickle, shredded carrot, cos lettuce, tomato and egg mayo on a Low Carb SuperBun. There was a Low Carb Superbun version of one of their popular chicken burgers to devour too, the Simon Says with chicken breast, avocado, bacon, salad, relish and herbed mayo. In case you’re wondering, the Low Carb Superbun substitutes wheat flour for egg, almond meal, coconut cream, tapioca flour and psyllium husk. I found the coconut flavour was particularly prominent in the Garden Goodness – a veggie pattie paired with beetroot, tasty cheese, avocado, salad, relish and herbed mayo.

Especially popular were the chips, which prompty disappeared as soon as the staff had taken about two steps out from the General Store. I only managed to get hold of the zucchini chips, but they were a delicious combination of crunchy shells encasing almost-molten zucchini flesh.

Though I’ve seen pictures of these luxury tents before, it was great to see them for myself.  St Jerome’s – The Hotel certainly provides a special experience that’s a little bit out of the ordinary for those keen to try.

Disclaimer: I was invited to the Grill’d event with Lola Berry as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own and not influenced by them in any way

St. Jerome’s – The Hotel
Level 3, Melbourne Central
271 Little Lonsdale St
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
0406 118 561