Our Overnight Stay at Novotel Melbourne Airport and Flight the next morning to Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific

We were picked up by Gavin our driver mid afternoon on 16th October, 2025 and driven the 40 minute to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport.

We had deliberately chosen to stay overnight at Novotel Hotel at Melbourne Airport because we have an early departure the following morning. We are Accor Members and used one of our nights for this purpose.

Check in at the Novotel Hotel , which is relatively new was quick and uncomplicated. We chose a Premier King Room which did give us some views of arriving and departing aircraft, but was extremely comfortable.

As is one of our traditions, we have cheese and biscuits and some sweet deserts on the night before our departure for overseas. After such a traumatic year we are both excited by this trip and the chance to catch up with quite a few dear friends who we met on earlier holidays and cruises. But first we have time in Hong Kong and then Vancouver. We have visited each of these cities on several occasions and really enjoy them with so much to see and do.

We are tired, but excited however we sleep well until 4.15am, when the alarm goes off. We shower quickly and whilst one uses the bathroom the other completes their chores associated with packing. We have a very standard routine where each of us does certain things associated with the packing We check out quickly and wait for the 5.30 shuttle from the Hotel to the International Terminal . It arrive promptly with n aircraft crew as passengers. They load our luggage and we are then taken the 5-7 minutes to the Terminal in comfort, relaxed and everything in order. We then check in, very quickly then proceed through security and immigration using the latest technology . It all works extremely well.

This process has been completed well inside half an hour and we are at the Business Class Lounge at 6.30am with almost 2 hours prior to needing to get to the Gate to Board our flight.

We choose a light breakfast and know that we will be well fed on our flight.