OUR MONKEYS
They hang from ceilings. They sit quietly on shelves. They peer out from unexpected corners of your room. The monkeys at Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins aren’t decoration. They’re an invitation.
To notice. To wonder. To follow your curious.
Their inspiration traces back to a Melbourne original: E. W. Cole. In the late 1800s, Cole created Cole’s Book Arcade, a place where books met wonder and children were encouraged to dream. Monkeys were part of the experience. At times, real ones in cages above the arcade. But also symbolic ones, representing play, imagination and mischief.
Cole’s vision for the arcade wasn’t just about selling books. It was about creating a world people could explore. He believed curiosity was a force for good. That learning should be joyful. That people should be encouraged to look up, look around and ask questions. The monkeys were part of that — playful guides in a space designed to open minds.
Here at Hotel Indigo, that spirit lives on.
The monkeys appear throughout the hotel. In guestrooms, they perch near lighting or mirrors. In the public spaces, they hang from ceilings or swing above the bar. Some are easy to spot. Others only reveal themselves after a second look.
They are not all the same. Some grin. Some look thoughtful. Some are caught mid-leap. They never interrupt, but they are always present, gently pulling at your attention.
For guests, they serve as a quiet reminder. This is not a place for passive experience. It is a place for noticing. For letting your surroundings spark questions. For wondering why a monkey is sitting where it is. For following the thread of that thought into something else.
The monkeys connect to more than just Cole’s Book Arcade. They reflect Melbourne’s sense of humour and its love of the offbeat. They echo the way the city balances elegance and eccentricity without apology.
They also reflect the design thinking behind the hotel. Nothing here is placed without intention. The monkeys remind us that joy and detail can sit side by side. That design can invite play.
So if you spot a monkey during your stay, pause for a second. Ask why it’s there. Ask what it’s looking at. Ask what it might be thinking.
It won’t answer. But it might lead you somewhere interesting.
