10 Top Ways to Discover Melbourne - Venue For the Australian Open in Tennis

Melbourne is host city to the first tennis Grand Slam for 2010. The Australian Open Tennis Championships is an event which attracts the world's best tennis players, including Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters. This major event on the world tennis calendar has a total prize pool of million and attracts a total of 480 singles and doubles players.

Melbourne, Australia's second biggest city, is ranked as Australia's sporting capital. It also hosts The Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix and Australian Motorcycle Championships. Every year, the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground is the venue for the Boxing Day cricket test, a contest between Australia and another cricketing nation.

But there is more to Melbourne than sporting events. It is also Australia's fashion and cultural capital and attracts visitors from all over the world to enjoy its scenery and vibrant atmosphere.

According to the latest Roy Morgan poll, Melbourne is Australia's most desirable holiday destination, especially for shopping, theatre and fine dining.

I am a regular visitor to the city called "The Paris of the South" and always enjoy making new discoveries.

Here are 10 suggestions to help you get the most from your visit.

1. Go to the Tourist Centre in Flinders St, near Australia Square to enquire about free public transport and special events.

2. Walk along the Yarra River from the Rod Laver Tennis Centre, enjoy the views of the city and continue through Southbank for a meal or to just enjoy the atmosphere.

3. Visit the 2 major art galleries in Federation Square and St Kilda Road. They contain the paintings of Australia's top artists.

4. Take a river cruise either up river or towards the ocean at Williamstown.

5. Walk along St Kilda Rd to the Shrine of Remembrance and return to the city through parklands to the Tennis Centre.

6. Visit Lygon St Carlton for an authentic Italian meal. Don't forget to bargain! Another fine dining experience is in the Chinatown district. The world's largest food and wine festival takes place in Melbourne from 12-23 March.

7. Visit the Victoria Markets for a cheap meal, to pick up a souvenir and enjoy the atmosphere.

8. Take a tram to the bayside suburb of St Kilda for a swim, meal or walk along the waterfront promenade. The very popular St Kilda Festival takes place from 6-14 February and attracts the cream of Australia's musical talent.

9. Discover Melbourne's proud sporting heritage with a guided tour of Australia's top sporting venue, the Melboune Cricket Ground.

10. Visit Docklands for a meal and spectacular city views. The view of the Westgate Bridge at night is particularly impressive.

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Top 5 Melbourne Hotels For the Best Family Holiday

Melbourne is a wonderful city to visit at any time of the year. There are many fantastic Melbourne hotels to choose from when it comes to accommodating your family too. Melbourne is often tagged as the most European city in Australia and within minutes of strolling through the central business district you will understand why.

The early urban planners designed the city around a series of wide tree-lined boulevards reminiscent of some of the great European capitals and the transport system built around trams makes it easy to get anywhere fast. In fact, you can sense the pride of the city just by strolling around the streets and also get a sense of its rich history where the influx of money from the early discovery of gold is represented in the elaborate and beautiful architecture that is on display in many of the early buildings.

When planning a trip to Melbourne with your family, here are some hotels to investigate.

1. Travelodge Southbank Hotel. This hotel is well located at Southbank and provides great value accommodation for families. It has three star status and you can literally walk to the Melbourne Aquarium or the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is also close to the MCG and Rod Laver arena for sporting nuts.
2. Leo Pacific Hotel. If you are looking for family accommodation in the heart of Melbourne's CBD, it is hard to go past this charming hotel. There are only 60 rooms at the recent renovations had made it into a quality boutique hotel that the family will love.
3. Easystay Apartments St Kilda. These serviced apartments are in fact a series of five different locations spread over three streets in St Kilda. You can walk across the road to the Ackland St cake shops or stroll down to the beach to cool off on a hot summer's day. On Sundays, you can take the children for a walk to Luna Park and then on the way home stop off at the markets to pick up some bargains.
4. Kingsgate Hotel Melbourne. Despite being built in 1926 in the traditional European style, this family friendly hotel has won several awards in the budget accommodation category. Many backpackers choose to stay here too as it is perfectly located in the heart of Melbourne city. You simply cannot get a better location and value for money.
5. The Pensione Hotel Melbourne. This is another boutique hotel located in the heart of the CBD and is a great place to base yourself and your family so you can easily visit any Melbourne attraction. The building itself still maintains the original facade but it has undergone considerable renovation over the years and is now designed specifically to cater for the budget traveller.

These five Melbourne hotels will certainly whet your appetite when it comes to choosing your next family holiday in Melbourne. It just goes to show that you don't need to spend huge sums of money on more traditional hotels when you can enjoy a holiday and comfortable surrounds and great locations

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