The welcome
The receptionist spots the taxi pull up outside, scuttles down the stairs, greets me by name and carries my case up. There’s an overriding sweet, caramel-ish smell in the lobby – for reasons that will soon become apparent – and the reception desk appears to be a cart pulled by a life size wireframe horse. The somewhat surreal air is added to by the big candy jars that new check-ins are welcome to tuck into as their keys are cut.
The neighbourhood
The Adelphi is in the heart of the most engaging quarter of Melbourne’s city centre. Many of the best casual laneway restaurants are with a few minutes’ walk, as are the best examples of the city’s street art. Also just around the corner is Federation Square, Melbourne’s thoroughly engaging hub of museums, cultural centres, eye-popping architecture and ever more eccentric mini-festivals.
The room
Perkily playful décor – zig-zag carpets, twin basins with the look of a metal horse trough – is complimented by a trail of cute little touches. On the mirror, “Enjoy your stay Mr Whitley” is written in lipstick. Beneath is a fridge full of free soft drinks and a big glass jar of gratis popcorn, jelly beans, Ferrero Rocher and other assorted snacks. On the edge of the bathtub is a little box of tricks – salts, bath fizz and the like. The sense of fun shines through without ever descending into honking wackiness.
The scene
This was Melbourne’s first self-styled boutique hotel, but its owners ran out of money last year. New owners gave it an energetic revamp. There’s a young feel, and judging by fellow guests it seems to have great appeal for city-breakers who want to throw themselves into Melbourne’s cultural and foodie scenes.
There’s a dividing line between relaxed hip and try-hard cool chasing, and the Adelphi falls on the right side of that line.
The service
As is the Australian way, interactions with staff are unobsequious – it’s human-to-human conversations rather than ingratiating servility. So when the receptionist asks what I’ve been up to, it’s out of genuine interest and in the hope of being able to make helpful recommendations. It’s somewhere to share a joke about taxis rather than be fawned over.
The food
The downstairs restaurant – Ezard – veers towards Asian-influenced fine dining. But the twist at the new Adelphi is Om Nom, a dedicated dessert bar. That’s where the sweet smell wafting over reception comes from, and it’s an exercise in willpower-abandoning decadence. The chocolate soufflé with mandarin marmalade, lime sorbet and a milk foam palate-cleanser for 22 Australian dollars (Dh71) is thunderingly good.
Loved
One aspect kept from the original Adelphi is the 25-metre-long rooftop pool. It’s essentially one lane only, but the legendary gimmick is the far end, which overhangs onto Flinders Lane. Not a swim for the acrophobic.
Hated
Turndown service didn’t include the blinds being pulled down to block light out at night, which rather seems to defeat the purpose of having it in the first place.
The verdict
Melbourne is brimming with fun and energy, but its hotels don’t tend to reflect this. The new-look Adelphi is a welcome exception to this perplexing rule. It opts to throw things in rather than going for needlessly penny-pinching (something sadly common with Australian hotels), and does so with hugely engaging panache.
The bottom line
King rooms start at 260 Australian dollars (Dh840) a night, including tax but excluding breakfast (187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, www.adelphi.com.au, 0061 3 8080 8888).
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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