As part of the conference package, three hotels that are members of the Accor chain are listed separately, including the Sofitel Hotel, the location of the conference. This page lists a range of non-Accor accommodation options. For reservations and the exact room rates that will apply please make direct contact with the hotel of your choice. Most hotels offer discounted "Government" rates for Australian University and Government employees, and that they may be lower than the rates listed here, which are either "corporate business" rates (which should be available to all SIGIR registrants) or special SIGIR rates.
Note that we are not holding block bookings with any of these places, not even the Accor hotels. First in best dressed, particularly with regard to the apartments.
Rough guide (as at 7 June): $A1 approx $US0.62. A full table of conversion rates is available from the conference home page. Note also that there is (a) no tax or other service charges applicable, and (b) in Australia there is no requirement to tip for assistance in hotels, or in connection with the use of taxis and buses. The listed rates are what the rooms will really cost. (The only situation in which you might consider adding a tip to a payment is for a sit-down meal in a good restaurant, as a reward for good service or as an acknowledgment of an enjoyable meal.)
Hotel Sofitel Melbourne
25 Collins Street, Melbourne
Phone +61-3-96530000; Fax +61-3-96504261
Rooms from $A205 per night.
Location of most conference activities, and
one of the three Accor hotels
that are described separately.
Novotel Melbourne on Collins
270 Collins Street, Melbourne
Phone +61-3-96505800; Fax +61-3-96501110
Rooms from $A176 per night.
This is one of the three Accor hotels
that are described separately.
All Seasons Swanston Hotel
195 Swanston Walk, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-96634711; Fax +61-3-96638191
Four-and-a-half stars, located in the retail heart of the city,
two minutes walk from the Town Hall and fifteen minutes walk to the Sofitel.
Single/Twin/Double rooms from $A165. Ask for the corporate rate.
All Seasons Crossley Hotel
51 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-96391639; Fax +61-3-96390566
Four-star hotel in the middle of the restuarant/theatre district.
Five minutes walk from the Sofitel and ten minutes walk from
the Town Hall.
Rooms from $A155. Ask for the corporate rate.
Euro-Asia Heritage Hotel
328 Flinders Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-92501888; Fax +61-3-92501877
Four-star hotel close to the Southbank Entertainment and Convention
complex and the suburban and interstate rail links.
Fifteen minutes walk from the Sofitel and less than ten minutes walk from
the Town Hall.
Close also to Le Meridien, the location of the conference banquet.
Rooms (including breakfast) from $A140.
Ask for the special SIGIR'98 rate.
Hotel Ibis Melbourne
15-21 Therry Street, Melbourne
Phone +61-3-96392399; Fax +61-3-96391988
Rooms from $A116 per night.
This is one of the three Accor hotels
that are described separately.
All Seasons Welcome Hotel
265-281 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-96390555; Fax +61-3-96391179
Relatively new
three-star hotel, just around the corner from the All Seasons Swanston,
close to cafes, a food court, and the retail district.
Fifteen minutes walk from the Sofitel and five minutes walk from
the Town Hall.
Rooms from $A99 (some with kitchenette facilities).
Ask for the special SIGIR'98 rate.
Victoria Vista Hotel
215 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-96530441; Fax +61-3-96509678
Three-star hotel, just around the corner (literally) from the Town Hall,
and less than ten minutes walk from the Sofitel.
The "Budget" rooms are low on features -- shared bathroom, no fridge, no TV,
no aircon (which is of no importance in the southern hemisphere in August) --
but are especially cheap.
Buffet breakfast available for $A10 per person.
Budget rooms: single/twin/triple for $A42/$A55/$A69;
Standard rooms (including bathroom, TV, fridge, aircon):
single/twin/triple for $A63/$A87/$A102;
Superior rooms (larger, nicer): single/twin/double/triple for
$A95/$A100/$A100/$A129.
Ask for the special SIGIR'98 rate.
Oakford Gordon Place
24 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-96632888; Fax +61-3-96391537
Four-star apartments sleeping from 2 to 6 people,
from $150 per night (two person) and from $220 per night
(four person).
Cots and highchairs available free of charge.
All units include kitchen facilities; laundry facilities available
on-site.
Leisure facilities include pool, spa, sauna.
Located at the theatre end of Chinatown, five minutes walk
from the Sofitel and 15 minutes walk from the Town Hall.
Oakford Gordon Towers
43-51 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-96633317; Fax +61-3-96631095
Immediately adjacent to the Oakford Gordon Place Apartments,
and all facilities and charges are as described above.
Flinders Lane Quest Lodging
161 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-93478622; Fax +61-3-93476521
Four-star apartments with full kitchen and laundry facilities.
One bedroom apartments (suited mainly for two adults, but with a
sofa bed for young children) and two bedroom apartments (containing
two double beds or a double plus two single beds, with the
option of a rollaway bed for a fifth person, at $15 per night) are
available.
Cots and highchairs available free of charge.
Three minutes walk from the Town Hall and five minutes walk to the
Sofitel.
Car parking available for $A15/night.
Prices from $A144 per night (one bedroom apartment) and $A171 (two
bedroom apartment).
Ask for the corporate rate.
Backpackers City Inn
197 Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone +61-3-96502734; Fax +61-3-96505474
Dormitory rooms:
four-bed-per-room accommodation at $16 per bed per night, and
six-bed-per-room accommodation at $14 per bed per night.
Communal bathroom facilities.
Safe-custody and left-luggage facilities available.
Located near the retail district, and close to cafes and budget restuarants.
Five minutes walk from the Town Hall and ten minutes walk from the Sofitel.
Don't ask for the corporate rate, there isn't one.
Alistair Moffat