Essence Hotel Carlton

The rooms at Essence Hotel Carlton (formerly known as the ibis Swanston Street) are cool and stylish, with a striking red, black, and white color theme and clean, contemporary lines. They are also well-designed and equipped with exceptionally comfy mattresses. Some rooms overlook the bright, leafy courtyard, which is a nice place to chill out on a sunny day. There is a good breakfast buffet and also a lovely downstairs cafe if you want to order something special – there is even a grab-and-go service allowing you to take your food up to your room. The gay-friendly hotel offers a free shuttle service to the nearest Skybus Depot, which provides direct connections to the airport. Meanwhile, the Collingwood gayborhood is about 25-minutes away on foot. Essence Hotel Carlton is one of the most booked budget gay hotels in Melbourne.