The best places to stay in Melbourne

The Royce Hotel

Perfect for: Boujie boulevardiers, art deco appreciators
A 1920s luxury car dealership turned hotel on Melbourne’s premier boulevard, St Kilda Road, has received the chicest of reimaginings, with Golden Age opulence the style-aim across 94 guest rooms, including 18 suites, and an array of public spaces. Glistening and glamorous, the Royce Hotel emphasises the art deco-meets-Spanish-mission heritage features of the original build while adding pretty wallpapers, marble fixtures and chrome accents in addition to all the necessary mod-cons for a contemporary luxury hotel.
From $420 a night. 379 St Kilda Road, Melbourne; (03) 8614 1414. See roycehotel.com.au

Ritz-Carlton Melbourne

Perfect for: High-rise thrill seekers, luxury lovers
One of Victorian capital’s newest hotels is also one of its most spectacular. The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne offers a novel twist: a lobby on level 80 of the new mixed-use development West Side Place, reached via a super-fast lift from Lonsdale Street. The hotel’s 257 generous and stylish rooms sit below with views galore. The level 64 spa is a destination in itself, with a stunning heated infinity pool. Dining’s a standout as well, with the legendary Mark Best as culinary advisor.
From $615 a night. 650 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne; (03) 9122 2888. See ritzcarlton.com

Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street

Perfect for: Serene stays, pied-a-terre patrons
If the look-at-me design of some of Melbourne’s more recently opened hotels is not to your taste, Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street is a less showy affair. But there’s beautiful design going on, nonetheless, with the formidable Bates Smart providing a sympathetic restoration of the heritage-listed Equity Trustees building and teaming it with a new-build high-rise. The central location and big-brand functionality are what recommend this hotel – it’s the kind of easy stay that invites return home-away-from-home patronage.
From $350 a night. 18 Little Queen Street, Melbourne; (03) 9116 8888. See hilton.com

W Melbourne

Perfect for: Fido and friend; the flirty and fabulous (if even just at heart)
For Victorians who fancy a staycation in the city but can’t bear the thought of leaving their precious pooch or puss behind, the W Melbourne comes to the rescue. This pet-friendly five-star – so refreshingly lateral-thinking for an inner city hotel – also hits the mark for bold design; architects Woods Bagot and interior design team Hachem clearly relished the get-creative brief. There’s also creative dining: among the options is Lollo operating under the auspices of much-loved local chef, Adam D’Sylva. There’s also a super sexy bar, Curious.
From $425 a night. 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne; (03) 9113 8800. See marriott.com

Lancemore Crossley St

Perfect for: Pasta appreciators, show stoppers
This boutique hotel is just so Melbourne with its rooftop bar and cool artworks reflecting the city’s laneway culture of which it is part. Crossley Street is home to the iconic Pellegrini’s, operational since 1954, and the more upmarket Italian eatery, Becco, delighting Melburnians since 1996. A stay at the Lancemore Crossley St is one in the heart of the action, with Chinatown, theatres and the CBD’s happening east end at your toes. Yet the hotel’s minimalistic rooms are beautiful respite.
From $275 a night. 51 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne; (03) 9639 1639. See lancemore.com.au

Ibis Melbourne Central

Perfect for: Family funsters, smart savers
Budget doesn’t need to mean uninspiring, a point the fun Ibis Melbourne Central makes definitively. Small but cleverly designed rooms have all the comfort and tech you need in a great position, near the city’s buzzy Hardware Lane. But it’s in the common areas that this budget hotel punches above – it shares them with the higher scale Novotel, which in turn shares the footprint of a purpose-built property that comprises 483 rooms across 35 floors and the two brands.
From $189 a night. 399 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne; (03) 9929 8888. See all.com

QT Melbourne

Perfect for: Personality people, eclectic eccentrics
The QT Melbourne, on the site of the old Greater Union cinema, laid down the design fun gauntlet to all other comers when it opened in 2016, with its layered, maximalist decor reflecting its location in the old garment district, jewel-toned fabrics abounding. But far from gimmicky, the QT Melbourne delivers with substance. Rooms, with hardwood floors and concrete ceilings, are super comfortable, functional and stylish. And the rooftop bar and Pascale Bar & Grill continue to pull punters in their own rights.
From $318 a night. 133 Russell Street, Melbourne; (03 8636 8800. See qthotels.com

Ovolo Laneways

Perfect for: design devotees, space invaders
Ovolo Laneways has recently undergone a refurb that sees it popping with colour and design elements inspired by Memphis Milano, an Italian design group that was highly influential in the late 1980s. There’s also Room 303, a unique option designed by frequent guest Neil Whitaker. Practically, though, the digs at Ovolo Laneways range from cute studios to extensive suites with full kitchens, but there’s now an eatery on site, Amphlett House, an “elevate taphouse”.
From $250 a night. 19 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne; See ovolohotels.com

Crowne Plaza Melbourne

Perfect for: Intergenerational interconnectivity; tech-hungry travellers
Since 2006, the Crowne Plaza has occupied the city’s only absolute riverfront hotel building – constructed in the late 1980s, when such a position was permitted. The brand is largely for business travellers which, for the leisure guest, may mean low-key decor – though there was a classy refurb carried out across the lockdown years. Amenities, like great tech, guarantee an effortless stay. Interconnecting rooms make the Crowne Plaza a fine choice for families. There’s also a lovely pool and, of course, river views.
From $295 a night. 1-5 Spencer Street, Melbourne; (03) 9648 2777. See melbourne.crowneplaza.com