The Paramount — Local services in Melbourne

I have health and safety concerns for customers and staff who are based in or visit this centre.

I have been going here for some time as I work close by. I am a customer of several traders, who are all really great at customer service and take pride in the way they present their stores. My concern is that on hot days, especially as we have seen this summer, that customers and staff who are under the glass ceiling on the ground floor (Bourke St end) are getting sun burnt. I personally will no longer go to the centre when it is hot outside but I feel for the tenants who have no choice but to continue working in unsafe conditions. Since some customers like myself won't even go there on hot days, these tenants are already losing business, let alone getting physically injured while in the workplace. I hope Centre management can offer a solution to these tenants at no further cost to what they already pay in rent, such as installing canopies over the shops as they do in almost every shopping centre around the world or at the very least - tinting the glass ceiling to the darkest tint available. (By driving their customers away, how does Centre Management expect their tenants to be able to continue paying the same amount of rent? It doesn't make sense in a modern city and within a country who should have appropriate safety principles in place) I would hope that basic human rights to not get injured in the workplace or as a tenant will prevail in this matter; and to ensure the landlords have seen a copy of my review, I will send a copy to Centre Management so they are made aware of my concerns directly. I've not spoken to the tenants about this situation (who am I to be interfering in their private business affairs) so I do not know if this subject has been raised previously by them, but I am sure I speak on behalf of others on the matter. I trust that general feedback from a member of the public is taken on board. I have been sunburnt myself while being there and I feel as if I need to keep sunglasses on the entire time I am there, not to mention the extreme temperatures these businesses' are forced to endure. Surely this is unsafe and not in keeping with best practices of Occupational Health and Safety and I implore you consider appropriate covers for these business. For the above reasons, I have rated this Shopping centre 1 star. For the traders I use regularly, I give 5 stars but I really feel for them having to suffer through potential physical injury, discomfort or loss of business because of this building. It should be rectified...

Stayed at the Paramount Serviced Apartments for my mother in law’s birthday. The two bedroom apartment was going for special on Agoda so we decided to book it.

The apartment was for four adults and one child. The positives outweighed the negatives.

Positives Staff we encountered were friendly and efficient. The apartment was very spacious even for four adults and a child Both bedrooms were also very spacious. Bed in master bedroom was comfortable. Noise in the 12th storey apartment was at a minimal - Could barely hear street traffic Bedrooms had roller blinds to make it nice and dark. Kitchen had all the necessary utensils Washing machine and dryer were provided (as expected in serviced apartments) Excellent location Parking facilities available on site at a fee and allows for multiple entry/exit during the period of stay. Exit at 11am on check out day. Good view from our apartment. Views of Parliament House and St Pats Cathedral. Sunrise also nice from that apartment

Negatives Room was dated. Found some toe nail clippings on the floor in the living room. Lift system is somewhat confusing (albeit explained upon check in). Balcony locked/inaccessible. Admittedly, we didn’t call reception to have this unlocked as the weather was quite average whilst we were there. But the fact that it was locked was a bit frustrating. Windows were all locked, meaning no natural air circulation.

As with all the serviced apartments we have stayed in, there are long term residents in the building as well. Fortunately for us, our neighbour was quiet and we didn’t hear a sound from their apartment.

For convenience, I have included info regarding lift access below. Please be aware, that similar info is made available on check in.

From the apartment

If you wish to access reception (181 exhibition street) - Take the lift from your apartment to level 2, then switch lifts.

Accessing the car park - take the lift to B1, switch lift to the respective level

Accessing the food court - Take lift to B1, switch lift and go up to G

Accessing Bourke street and little Bourke street exits - Take lift to B1, switch lift and go up to 1.

Would definitely consider staying again on our next...

This review will cover the shopping complex, as I have not stayed or lived in their apartments, nor do I know of anyone currently residing there. (According to their website it seems that they are not taking anymore guests)

It was completed in 1996 by Multiplex in what they call the "postmodern" style, think Memphis group, but with more beige brown and green and a bit more restraint. Symmetry and patterns predominate in ways not seen in newer shopping centres...

The piece de resistance seems to be their "international" food court.

Ceylon Wok, Demarco espresso Bar, and a thai restaurant are some of the options you can expect.

Demarco and the thai restaurant are probably your best option, as they have the best food and best service, Ceylon Wok is okay but it is nothing to write home about. I will write seperate reviews on these places in due course.

It does get crowded in the food court between 12:00-13:30, as all the salarymen and women come here for their lunch break. Otherwise it is a very quiet shopping centre, one may even refer to it as a dead mall.

According to their website it is home to an "extensive range of boutique style retail outlets"

very lofty, idealistic language which unfortunatly does not meet expectations, most of the complex is dotted with many dubious "massage" parlors, there are at least five or six that i know off the top of my head, you would see the women pace out front soliciting men (and it was almost exclusively men) to come into their shop.

As of my recent visit Centre Management have plastered a sort of edict onto the shop railings forbidding this practise, as I believe they have become cognizant of how damaging it was to the image of the centre. It seems to have been effective because you do not see them outside anymore, the parlors themselves of course continue to do their trade.

It was either that or beauty shops, with the odd miscallenous shop here and there, i believe they have a barista school on the top level, a framing shop on level 2, and a Kpop merchandise shop on the top level also...

I would probably give it a 4 if it wasn't for the parlors, as i believe it is a well designed, easy to...