At 22 storeys above the corner of Queen and Flinders Street, the top floor of the Vibe Hotel Melbourne is now called Fleet – a tip of the hat to the days when fleets of cargo ships navigated higher up the Yarra, paying their dues at the nearby Customs House, now the Immigration Museum.
With the growing popularity of rooftop entertainment spaces and a successful sky-high pop-up bar last year, the decision was taken to convert the suites on level 22 of the hotel to take advantage of the inbuilt theming provided by sunset views across across the cityscape and the bay.
The new venue, designed by Paul Kelly Design – previous work includes Black Star and Crown casino – transformed one of the hotel’s former penthouse apartments into a chic rooftop bar with distinctive 1980s design elements that seats 90.
Buyouts of the space for exclusive events are available from Monday to Thursday evenings, providing the minimum spend is met. Lunchtime buyouts are also possible from Monday to Thursday, again with a minimum spend requirement.
Fleet offers an indoor seated space for 90 or a cocktail and networking space on the terrace outdoors for 80. The hotel will customise menus for group buyouts.
In a city known for its ubiquitous wine and cocktail bars, Fleet stands tall – not only as the tallest rooftop bar on Melbourne’s Flinders Street – but as one of a handful of venues leading the rum renaissance.
Adding an extra nautical flavour to Fleet is its collection of more than 70 different rums from around the world. Award-winning mixologist Grant Collins has consulted and created a drinks list where local distillers JimmyRum, Boatrocker Distillery and Queensland’s Beenleigh Distiller sit alongside international rum producers from Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Cuba. A vintage and rare bottle collection, dating back to the 1930s, completes the rum offering. There are also more than 50 different local and international gins available.
While the bar is now open from 3pm until late, its lunchtime service will not commence until May 16.
