7 Melbourne CBD Venues With Exclusive Use

There are many occasions when your special event needs a venue which offers you exclusive use.

It may be your product staging and decor require much more time than usual to bump in and bump out, your product or brand requires privacy or shielding from curious onlookers, you want to avoid gatecrashers, or you don't want a time limit placed on your event "You've all got to be out of here at 4pm because we've got our next client coming to set up then!".

Here's 7 Melbourne venues in and around the CBD which offer exclusive use.

The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins

The Savoy Hotel On Little Collins, a heritage-listed hotel dating from 1866 which recently underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishment, features Art Deco styling in its interior with six stylish, spacious and versatile meeting rooms, with natural light, bold geometric patterned carpets, linear angled pillars and classic tray ceilings.

Hire the gorgeous Plaza Ballroom on its own for a cocktail function of up to 200 guests, or open up the glass panel Crittal doors between the Plaza Ballroom and Collins Room to accommodate up to 320 guests for a cocktail party or up to 160 for a sit-down lunch or dinner.

Amora Hotel Riverwalk

Overlooking Melbourne's Yarra River is the Amora Hotel Riverwalk on Bridge Road, Richmond. Its easy proximity to the city makes it worth considering for business functions.

Depending on your type of corporate event, you can choose from a clear, permanent all-weather marquee with fairy lighting in the courtyard designed for up to 220 guests at a cocktail function, the Banks & Yarra Room which has capacity for 150 guests banquet style or 220 theatre style as well a partitioning wall to divide the spaces, the Park Room for a boardroom meeting for up to 20 people or a cocktail party for 50, the Hawthorn Room which can provide a conference space up to 90 people or be divided into three breakout areas, and the Octagon Room which is part of the Fresco Restaurant which can be hired out privately for business meetings, lunches or dinners.

All Smiles - Melbourne Waterfront

How perfect would this curiously-named venue be for a dentistry or lipstick range launch?!

Sneak Bar [edit - since closed]

This Swan Street, Richmond venue function space opens solely for private events, and is the only one of its kind in the area, making it perfect for a homewares cocktail party launch near all those Church Street furniture and interior design stores. 

Sneak Bar can cater for up to 120 cocktail party guests and can be booked for exclusive use seven days a week until 1am.

Sneak Bar’s modern, sophisticated design provides a sleek addition to the precinct.

The comfortable lounge atmosphere, flexible fit out, large selection of beers, ciders and wines, and mingle-friendly floor plan make it the perfect party venue. 

St Andrews Conservatory

Got a gardening service or small outdoor product you'd like to launch winter or summer and worried about the weather behaving itself in Melbourne?

Why not book a glass conservatory to make a nice tie-in to your product?

You can save time and money not having to worry about ceiling decoration by booking out St Andrews Conservatory in Nicholson Street, Fitzroy: it has a permanent white paper lantern installation under its glass ceilings which is not only environmentally friendly but it creates a charmingly airy and light atmosphere as soon as you walk in.

St Andrews Conservatory can accommodate up to 180 guests for a cocktail function or 140 guests at a sit-down dinner or lunch.

The Melbourne Town Hall

The Melbourne Town Hall in Spring St, built in 1870 has been host to some historic events.

The city's leading politicians debated Australia's Federation, Dame Nellie Melba made her debut and the Beatles greeted adoring fans.

There are seven function areas within the building but the best-known and largest you'll want to hire exclusively for your special event is the Main Hall.

This features showstopping 70-foot ceilings, spectacular chandeliers, an 800-seat balcony and the largest wood-carved pipe organ in the Southern Hemisphere.

Hold a sit-down banquet for 700 guests or a cocktail party for 1,500.

The Trust

Housed in the former Port Authority Building in Flinders Lane, you can book out the entire venue on Saturdays and Sundays only for up 1,000 guests for a cocktail function or 160 guests for a sit-down dinner or lunch.

The Trust is most probably the best Melbourne venue you could ever launch a new wine, spirit or beer product, featuring what is claimed as Australia's longest bar, offering your company plenty of space for glasses, bottles, bar accessories, product information and antipasto platters.

And if serving your guests excellent-quality Italian cuisine gourmet food is a top priority, you'll be glad to know this Chef's Hat-awarded restaurant venue serves it in spades.

Enjoyed this? With Christmas just around the corner, check our 7 tips for cool corporate Christmas party venue choices.