Is Melbourne Airport a good place to stay in Melbourne?

Melbourne Airport is a practical base if you have an early or late flight or a short stopover. The hotels are a short walk from the terminals, and the SkyBus runs to Southern Cross station in the city. It suits transit travellers, business visitors and families who want an easy first or last night.

The area is built around the terminals and the car parks, with the PARKROYAL facing the terminals and the Novotel and ibis Styles just along the road. Inside the terminals there are cafés, bars and shops, DFO Essendon, an outlet shopping centre at Essendon Fields, is a short drive away, and Woodlands Historic Park has walking trails through bushland near the airport.

The downside is that there's nothing much to do. The CBD is a bus ride away, there are no neighbourhood streets to explore, and evenings are spent in the hotel or the terminal. Rooms cost more than you might expect for the location, and with no train, every trip into Melbourne depends on the bus or the freeway traffic.

What makes Melbourne Airport worth considering is peace of mind. You can walk to check-in, avoid the traffic on the freeway and start or end a long trip rested, which is worth a lot after a long-haul flight. The hotels are modern and comfortable, several have pools, and the SkyBus is there when you want to head into the city.