Why hotel brand Citadines treats coffee as a vehicle for creating positive guest experiences.
James Grege is passionate about how critical coffee is to community. After all, it motivated him to pursue hospitality 16 years ago after a career as a jeweller and then a real estate developer.
The Manager of Urban Deli in Melbourne’s CBD caters to what he calls his “vertical village” of more than 5000 people living and working in the high-rise buildings in and around Exhibition and Collins streets, feeding them good food, and serving great coffee.
“Coffee is the icebreaker in any conversation or social setting. When you’re meeting someone, it’s catching up for a coffee – even if you don’t drink coffee,” says James.
“It’s a personal experience, and it’s so Melbourne. Having a coffee, hearing the noises of the city, the buzzing of the trams, and the people walking by, there’s a uniquely European feel about it. It just binds us together.”
But there’s one thing Urban Deli has that many other Melbourne CBD venues don’t. In addition to being a haven for city-worker regulars, it’s a hive of activity for hotel guests staying metres up the road at Citadines on Bourke Melbourne.
The café and hotel have been collaborating since 2010, with the partnership key to Citadines’ desire to create a home away from home for its guests.
Michelle Finney, General Manager of Citadines on Bourke Melbourne, says it is through collaborating with venues like Urban Deli that the hotel brand is looking to deepen the connection between its guests and where they are staying.
“James has been on this journey with us from the beginning,” says Michelle. “He makes our customers feel like this is their home as well.
“We get great feedback from our guests. It’s not just about the food or the coffee, it’s about the experience and what James and the team can create for them.
“Being able to recommend places like Urban Deli is honestly a dream for our guests, because they want to experience the real Melbourne. Melbourne has a huge connection to coffee as part of its culture, and Urban Deli is our little secret delight, and it’s lovely to share that secret.”
For the Love of Coffee
Citadines on Bourke Melbourne and Urban Deli are just one example of café-hotel collaborations across the Citadines portfolio.
The global hotel brand’s tagline is ‘For the Love of Cities, which is used as the basis for an annual coffee campaign.
“For the Love of Cities is such a great slogan to be able to have,” says Michelle. “It comes back to our desire to empower our guests with personalised exploring. We’re constantly looking at what we can do better and always thinking about the little touches that can make a stay feel more memorable.”
Leveraging this, Citadines’ own ‘For the Love of Coffee’ campaign goes all out for one month of the year, all over the world.
“In Australia, we have what we call ‘coffee month’ every October. Each of our properties around Australia will choose a special celebration, something they can include for guests and staff to join together,” says Michelle.
“That can be something like a complimentary coffee from our favourite partners like Urban Deli for each of our guests across the month, or it could be giving away espresso martinis in the lobby in the evening.
“Each venue has a fun twist on what we do. Citadines’ in warmer climates can experiment with offering things like cold coffee or cold brew, something that’s tailored to them.
“Through Ascott Star Rewards, our loyalty program, guests can enjoy little extras like a complimentary coffee when they join. It’s an easy way for us to deliver a more personalised experience that feels thoughtful.”
Outside of her role with Citadines, Michelle is aware of the impact coffee and good service can have on people, having previously been a part-time barista before getting into hotel management.
“It’s a non-negotiable to have great coffee and great food,” says Michelle.
“What sets us apart and why we choose the partners we do is the culture in the store and the support and services they provide the guests, in addition to the great food and great coffee.”
Back to community
Michelle and James agree the relationship between Urban Deli and Citadines is symbiotic, which, they believe, enables the best experience for guests visiting Melbourne.
It’s the type of relationship Citadines has with its partners around the world, with the customer service from venues like Urban Deli helping embed travellers into their new environments.
“When guests come from the hotel, they’re only here for a couple of nights to a week. They often arrive like a fish out of water – they don’t quite know where things are or how things work,” says James.
“Most of my regular customers are people from the surrounding buildings, I see them every day getting off the trams. With the hotel guests, I take it as a personal responsibility to make them feel welcome. Coffee helps that happen.
Even if there’s a language barrier, they can still communicate through coffee.
“Coffee is the grounding point that starts a conversation and lets us break the ice, so they feel comfortable,” James says.
Even the coffee Urban Deli serves – illycaffé – ties into the overarching desire to make anyone and everyone feel welcome.
“illy, as a brand, is exceptional. They’re the Giorgio Armani of coffee – people know what to expect when they have an illy coffee,” he says.
“People see it when they are travelling from overseas. Most of illy’s customers are from Europe and Southeast Asian countries, and many of the people from those regions recognise what it stands for.”
Because, from a Citadines perspective, everything comes down to making guests feel welcomed and comfortable in a new city.
“With hotels, the aspect of having luxury and feeling like you’re in a special place when you’re away from home is important,” says Michelle.
“I believe luxury is all about personalisation. Coming anywhere in Australia, but especially Melbourne, there’s an abundance of options for coffee, and everyone has their own personal favourites. Being able to accommodate that adds to the luxurious element of the stay.
“We really advocate for local suppliers and venues to enable people to really enjoy the city as a whole. Being able to recommend and partner with places like Urban Deli is honesty a dream for guests because they want to come here and experience the true side of what Melbourne is as a city, and what its coffee means to the culture.”
For more information, visit discoverasr.com/citadines
This article appears in the June 2026 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
