Perth’s COMO The Treasury is A Lesson in Luxury

COMO the Treasury Hotel Perth
Perth's most exclusive stay.

Perth’s COMO The Treasury is A Lesson in Luxury

Perth's most exclusive stay.
COMO the Treasury Hotel Perth
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It’s one of Perth’s most exclusive stays and it’s worth every cent…

“Can I get you something to drink? Wine? Water? I’ll get you some sparkling wine, shall I?”. With just a few simple words, the tone for my stay at COMO The Treasury hotel had been set. I didn’t even get the chance to answer my friendly valet before he ducked back off to fetch me a welcome glass of sparkling, while I reclined in one of the lobby’s plush grey lounges to sign my check-in papers.

They say not to judge a book by its cover – or a hotel by its lobby and check-in experience – but from these few first impressions, I knew this stay was going to be something special.

Source: Monique Ceccato

The hotel

Taking up residence in the 140-year old Treasury, Lands, and Titles building (now known as the State Buildings), COMO The Treasury carefully integrates its original 19th-century features with clean, new build to create its own brand of refined elegance. Original wooden floorboards and ornate cornices in the communal areas contrast, yet harmonise, with more modern features like the geometric brass light fixtures and black steel accents. It’s a clever aesthetic that even wins the maximalist in me over.

In true COMO hotel style, the lobby of the brand’s Perth incarnation is sparsely, but very purposefully, decorated. Behind the heavy glass doors to the right of the valet, two grey lounges, some marble coffee tables, and a spattering of leather armchairs fill the bright, white heritage lobby. The most noticeable omission in the room is a check-in counter. In place of the usual conspicuous desk is a simple stand up desk; all that is needed when guests are encouraged to enjoy their welcome from the lounge with a glass in hand.

My glass of welcome bubbles went down almost as soon as the valet had handed it to me. Eagerness to finally settle into the Heritage Room I had long been looking forward to staying in narrowly trumped spending a little more time soaking up the understated luxury of the lobby.

COMO the Treasury Heritage Suite
Source: Monique Ceccato

The room

There are two things anyone who has stayed at COMO The Treasury will tell you: that the rooms are beyond the definition of spacious, and that you can’t leave without taking a bath. After spending two nights at the hotel, I am can now join those people in sharing those tidbits.

Featuring lofty ceilings, oversized windows, and a full 55m² or more of floor space that dwarfs even the custom-built king-sized beds, these rooms are a far cry from your standard, compact hotel rooms. Space equals luxury, and COMO The Treasury doesn’t run short on it. Even the bathroom is of mammoth proportions, with enough (heated) floor space beside the tub to attempt your most expressive yoga moves in complete comfort (you bet I pulled out the supplied yoga mats and tried).

Bathtub COMO The Treasury
Source: Monique Ceccato

Friends of mine made it abundantly clear to me that a stay at COMO The Treasury without a long soak in the bath was a sin. Honestly, the fuss went over my head. The deep, modern tub was, of course, beautiful; but it wasn’t wildly different to any other tubs I’d experienced in a luxury stay. Then it hit me, the moment I lifted the lid on the ceramic canister resting on the bathside table. The room filled with the intoxicatingly spicy, and slightly eucalypt, scent of the COMO Shambala bath salts – clearly the reason taking a bath here was imperative.

The minimal furnishings in the room and bathroom only further highlight the immense amount of space you have to enjoy. Accustomed to living in a room lined with clothes racks, shoes, and plants, it crossed my mind as to whether these rooms might come across a tad stark. Though large and neutral-toned, a simple sitting area, purposefully placed table and chairs, fireplace, and mini bar keep the room from feeling cavernous and empty. But, there’s no unnecessary fluff, allowing the true beauty of the room to shine through.

Petition Wine Bar COMO The Treasury
Source: Monique Ceccato

The food

I quickly discovered that there is, quite literally, no need to leave the State Buildings while you’re staying at COMO The Treasury. As well as the luxury hotel, the building boasts nine retailers, six bars, four restaurants, and a high-end day spa. Everything I needed for a restorative and indulgent weekend was right there at my fingertips.

While breakfast is best enjoyed at Petition Kitchen or Post, dinner reservations at Long Chim, Petition Wine, or the much-lauded Wildflower are a must.

Relaxed and slightly Melbourne-esque in style, the newly renovated Petition Wine is perfect for a pre-dinner pit stop.

If my own pre-dinner pit stop was anything to go by, the refurbishment has done wonders for the wine merchant and it’s busy, buzzing atmosphere. It’s easy to get lost in the impressive wine selection, ogling at the interesting bottles so expertly curated by Gourmet Traveller’s 2019 Sommelier of the Year, Emma Farrelly. But, the lure of a mighty pile of charcuterie and a grippy glass of orange wine at my table was enough to avert my attention.

Source: Monique Ceccato

When it comes to dinner decisions, my mind was made up immediately. Yet to dine at Wildflower, now was my chance to finally do so. Jed Jerrard left a legacy at Wildflower and I’d heard that current executive chef, Matthew Sartori, was doing that legacy proud.

The fine-dining rooftop restaurant is celebrated for it’s finessed Australian menu, introducing diners to all manner of native ingredients through their four and six-course tasting menus. A quick scan over the dinner menu filled with flavours of river mint and native ginger, and star proteins like tender, cured Margaret River beef tongue and Wagin duck, and I was eager for the first course to land.

Unsurprisingly, dinner at Wildflower is a theatrical affair. There are perfectly matched wines for each course, artistic plating, and an in-depth description of each dish as it hits the table. Of all of them, it was the melt-in-your-mouth Abrolhos Island scallops topped with pickled daikon, finger lime, green apple, and lemon myrtle that I revisit the most.

The location

COMO The Treasury is right in the heart of the Perth CBD, on the corner of Barrack St and St Georges Terrace. Officially known as ‘point zero’, the site on which the hotel sits is considered the civic heart of the city, and the point from which all distances to Perth are measured. The Treasury Lounge and Bar‘s luxe high tea experience pays homage to this, with information on how far from point zero the hero ingredients for each little bite have come.

Being at the heart of the city, the river, Elizabeth Quay, the two shopping malls, and the Perth Concert Hall are all just a stone’s throw away. A more serious 35-minute stroll will get you to the top of Kings Park with an incredible view out over the city. If you’re wanting to venture a little further than the CBD bounds, the central bus and train stations are also just a short stroll away.


Feature image: Monique Ceccato