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Novotel South Wharf is sixth of nineteen, on 30 points, and its distance to the pier rests on one reading of ours. Accor lists the Spirit of Tasmania marine terminal 3 km away, a 10-minute drive — that ferry sailed from Station Pier before it moved to Geelong, so we read it as the pier, but the page never says so.
Our own routing agrees closely: 1.9 road miles (3.1 km), 5 minutes with no traffic. After The Hamptons, that's the nearest to the pier of our nineteen.
The 347 rooms and suites run from 25 m² to 82 m² two-bedroom apartments and sleep up to four. Mr Carpano serves a buffet and Allora does coffee and desserts. Parking is A$65 (about US$45) a day at the DFO Wilsons car park across the way, and valet isn't offered now.
I'd book it for the five-minute drive, not for a pool, and I'd skip it if swimming is the plan.
Book it if
- A short cab ride to the pier is what you're after
- Mr Carpano's Italian menu and a 24-hour gym fit your night
- You're happy to park across the way, at the DFO Wilsons car park
Look elsewhere if
- Swimming is part of the plan — no pool is mentioned.
- You need Accor to name Station Pier itself, which it doesn't.
- Valet matters to you, and it isn't offered now.
What the 3 km figure refers to
What Accor prints
- Check-in from 14:00, check-out by 11:00.
- 347 rooms and suites on 26 levels, from 25 m² to 82 m² two-bedroom apartments.
- Parking is across the way at the DFO Wilsons car park, priced in the parking section.
- Accor marks it family friendly, with rooms for up to four.
- Accor prints no room rate on the page we read — confirm the total and the GST at booking.
What we infer, and what's missing
- Whether a rate includes breakfast
- Luggage storage
- Any pool
These facts come from Accor's page, read October 6, 2026. The 3 km line is the one reading we make ourselves — the rest is as printed. Ask the front desk, not the listing, about the pier.
Mr Carpano, then five minutes to the pier
The evening stays in the building, and the drive to the pier is short enough to book the night before.
Mr Carpano for Italian, Allora for coffee and desserts, a terrace bar and the 24-hour gym.
Accor lists nothing to the pier. Book the cab for a time that clears your boarding window.
Accor describes a buffet at Mr Carpano — it doesn't say whether a rate includes it.
Book the cab the night before, and check the boarding window in your cruise documents.
The car goes across the way, to the DFO Wilsons car park.
Station Pier by cab, with no shuttle to count on
The two numbers agree closely enough that the exact reading barely changes the plan — you're booking a cab either way.
Accor lists no shuttle from the airport.
The hotel offers no pier ride, so budget for a short cab of about 5 minutes.
From MEL without a hotel shuttle
By our routing Melbourne Airport is about 15.7 road miles from Novotel South Wharf, roughly 25 minutes with no traffic. SkyBus stops at Southern Cross, which Accor puts a 10 to 15 minute walk away — a taxi is simpler.
Southern Cross station is the rail stop Accor names, 1.1 to 1.2 km away on a 10 to 15 minute walk, and past our 0.4-mile line.
If you drive, the car goes to the DFO Wilsons car park across the way — the price is in the parking section.
Nothing runs from the hotel, so the cab you book is the whole plan. Leave a little slack for the boarding window.
Landing the morning you sail? Skip Novotel and use the airport page's landing check. A 5-minute hop to the pier doesn't help if the flight is late.
Which terminal
Station PierThe cruise terminal is Station Pier, 6 Waterfront Place, Port Melbourne. Your berth and boarding window are in your documents, and the Melbourne cruise guide has the lines.
Source: ports.vic.gov.auDistance
3 km to the Spirit of Tasmania terminal, per AccorThe 3 km figure is for the ferry terminal; reading it as the pier is our call.
Source: all.accor.comBy tram
Tram link not documentedNo tram stop is named, so no rail link counts toward the score.
Source: all.accor.comTo the ship
No shuttle statedAccor lists no ride to the pier, so the cab is yours to book.
Source: all.accor.comA$65 at the DFO Wilsons car park
Guest parking
Guest parking from A$65Self-parking A$65 a day at the DFO Wilsons car park — valet isn't currently offered, per Accor.
Source: all.accor.comAt Station Pier
Limited, charged, no rateThat covers your stay. A car left for the cruise is a separate pier question, answered below.
At the pier itself, limited charged parking sits in Waterfront Place, per Ports Victoria, with no rate printed. The pier parking page has the detail, and the tram section covers the other route.
Source: ports.vic.gov.auAllora, a terrace bar and a 24-hour gym
The evening
Food or bar on siteMr Carpano Dining + Bar for Italian, Allora for coffee and desserts, a bar with outdoor terraces and a 24-hour fitness centre. No pool is mentioned.
Free breakfast
Not statedAsk if the rate covers the Mr Carpano buffet — Accor doesn't say.
Address
Convention Centre Place, South Wharf7 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf VIC 3006
Hotel website
30, with no pool
Distance earns 25 of 30 and the restaurant and bar add 5. Nothing else scores, and the scale runs to 100.
347 rooms, from 25 m² to an 82 m² apartment
Times are Accor's: in from 14:00, out by 11:00. If the party is bigger than two, ask about the 82 m² apartments by name.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
Novotel South Wharf gives no minimum age.
Extra fees
Not stated
Wi-Fi
Not stated
Parking for your stay
Self-parking across the way — valet isn't offered now
Breakfast
A buffet at Mr Carpano — no rate is said to include it
Pool
A 24-hour fitness centre — no pool is mentioned
Pets
Accor's page says pets aren't allowed.
Food and drink on site
- Mr Carpano Dining + BarItalian
- AlloraCoffee and desserts
- Bar with outdoor terracesOn site
Rooms
Up to four to a room, across 26 levels.
Accessibility
We found no accessible-room detail for South Wharf, so call before you book.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryNot stated
- GymYes
- Pets allowedNo
Nearby, by the hotel’s count
- Spirit of Tasmania terminal3 km, a 10-minute drive, per Accor — our reading is that this is Station Pier
- Southern Cross station1.1 to 1.2 km, a 10 to 15 minute walk
Distances are Accor's own, in metric as printed.
Also worth knowing
- Pets aren't allowed
If you want a pool
Before you book: the cruise guide for the lines, Melbourne cruise parking for the car, and the splurge list for Pan Pacific next door.
The shortest drive after The Hamptons.
Send your sail date and we'll check Novotel South Wharf for the night before. Nothing is charged on the form.
The ferry terminal, parking and breakfast
How far is Novotel South Wharf from Station Pier?
About 1.9 road miles (3.1 km), roughly 5 minutes with no traffic, on our routing. Accor's own 3 km figure is for the ferry terminal, which we read as the pier.
Does Novotel South Wharf have a pool?
No pool is mentioned — Accor lists a 24-hour fitness centre. If swimming matters, The Sebel Docklands has an indoor pool.
How much is parking at Novotel South Wharf?
A$65 a day, self-parked at the DFO Wilsons car park, per Accor. Valet isn't currently offered.
Is breakfast included at Novotel South Wharf?
Accor describes a buffet at Mr Carpano and doesn't say whether a rate includes it.
Is Novotel South Wharf family friendly?
Accor marks it so, with rooms for up to four and two-bedroom apartments of 82 m². For a group bigger than four, the apartments are the ones to ask about.
Cruise booked yet?
Send your line and sail date, and we'll confirm the terminal, then price Novotel South Wharf for the night before. No obligation.
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