The Best Boutique and Luxury Hotels in Melbourne
Rooftop pools, pillow menus, hatted restaurants and interiors by Australia's top design studios — these are Melbourne's dreamiest check-ins.
The Best Boutique and Luxury Hotels in Melbourne
Rooftop pools, pillow menus, hatted restaurants and interiors by Australia's top design studios — these are Melbourne's dreamiest check-ins.
Whether you're vacationing or staycationing, checking into one of the best boutique and luxury hotels in Melbourne is the easiest way to see your own city with fresh eyes — hatted restaurants, marble-clad spas, rooftop pools and pillow menus included.
At these stays, you get a little bit of everything (or a whole lot of everything). Expect plush sheets, room service you can eat in bed, cocktails that are only a lift ride from your pillow, and lobbies designed to make you linger rather than check in and bolt.
And the city has rarely been better stocked. Collins Street's grande dames now share the skyline with a wave of design-led newcomers — including a Flack Studio-designed stay tucked beneath Kings Way — so whether your taste runs to old-school five-star polish or boutique rooms with a point of view, there's a check-in here with your name on it.
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Designed by Flack Studio, this $150 million hotel has spared little expense to offer guests an immersive celebration of architecture and cultural connection, and easily slots into one of the glitzier parts of town. Every room offers skyline views, curated minibars and design features that nod to Melbourne’s architectural and cultural layers. Situated within the podium of the Queensbridge Building, a 65-storey residential and lifestyle tower, Hannah St Hotel is anchored by guest facilities on level 9. Described as the hotel’s social soul, the hotel features a 20-metre lap pool, a fully equipped gym, and wellness amenities, including a steam room and a sauna.
Of course, the food and drink offering at Hannah St Hotel is no afterthought. Each of the five internal venues presents a distinct feel and offering. A hole-in-the-wall cafe, Hannah St Coffee, serves Square One Coffee, baked goods and grab-and-go lunches. Coupette Corner Bistro & Bar is an all-day Euro-leaning restaurant, The Terrace Lounge offers rooftop views and cocktails, Bar Hannah serves as a classic lobby bar, and The Carriage Lounge is designed for an intimate and elegant pre- or post-dinner beverage.
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Australia’s first 1 Hotel is characterised by an inside with a palpable connection to the outside. Housed inside (and on top of) Southbank’s heritage-listed Goods Shed No.5, the hotel’s industrial elements are juxtaposed against natural materials used throughout. Wicker, wood and tactile textiles like bouclé and jute make up the furnishings on the riverfront deck outside and in the Crane Bar & Lounge, From Here by Mike restaurant and Upstairs bar. 4,500 square metres of reclaimed timber is used in the cladding and furnishings.
Beyond the interior design choices, living elements breathe a sense of tranquillity into 1 Hotel Melbourne — the vaulted ceilings of the shed allow for indoor trees (already impressive in their infancy), while real moss adorns the frame of each of the hotel’s room doors; there are more than 7,000 plants inside the venue. The commitment to being eco-friendly to the Bamford Wellness Spa — a haven of wellness, tranquillity and self-care hidden on level three. In addition to the spa, all guests also have access to a full gym, pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Though you’ll be within walking distance of some of Melbourne’s best drinking and dining at 1 Hotel Melbourne, the hotel’s From Here by Mike restaurant is a must-visit. Chef Mike McEnearney has constructed a seasonally rotating menu that champions ethically sourced, hyperlocal produce.
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Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins stitches past and present — four restored frontages on a storied corner outside, bold colour and layered storytelling within. The mood lands somewhere between gallery and hideaway: Mondrian blues nod to the city’s street signs, while monkey motifs wink at E.W. Cole’s legendary Book Arcade. A sculptural spiral staircase coils up through a cathedral-like atrium, where a circular bar offers front-row seats to a three-storey “cabinet of curiosities” by artist Lisa King. If location is key, you’re well and truly in the thick of it — theatres, galleries and shopping at the door, trams to the NGV, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the MCG within easy reach.
There’s a compact fitness centre for a quick sweat, a 12-seat meeting room for private dinners or brainstorms, and direct access to the refreshed Melbourne Walk precinct below (home to the jaw-dropping MECCA flagship). Original artworks by award-winning Australian artists, soft furnishings, windows that frame the city skyline outside, and natural light that fills the space create a mood that will make you wish you could stay. The Hotel Indigo ethos is all about embodying its neighbourhood — and here on Little Collins Street, that means heritage facades, laneway attitude and a design language that reads like a love letter to the CBD. It’s character over cookie-cutter, with enough creature comforts to make lingering feel inevitable.
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Melbourne Place was one of the city’s most anticipated new openings in 2024, and it more than delivered when it opened towards the end of the year. The new hotel on Russell Street is 14 stories high, boasts 191 luxury rooms and suites, and houses a basement bar, ground-floor diner and rooftop restaurant — all destinations in their own right.
When it comes to places to rest their heads, guests can choose from a number of room formations, from simple studios to a totally lavish penthouse. The team isn’t shying away from colour or multiple textures throughout the rooms (you won’t find a white wall anywhere in the building) and is adding luxury elements with bespoke finishes and furnishings. It may not have a pool or spa like some of the other Melbourne hotels below, but the food and drink lineup, coupled with the design of the entire building, make it more than worthy of getting onto this list.
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The Mornington Peninsula’s uber-cool, world-class boutique resort has expanded its offerings, marking a new benchmark for coastal luxury in Victoria. The pub has been in the hands of the Pitt family since 1981, and across three generations, it has undergone extensive transformations, including this latest multi-phase project. First, the development saw luxury accommodation, a pool, spa and wellness facilities added on to the venue. And now, the final upgrades have been unveiled to include a New York-style Lobby Bar, an openair wellness terrace, conference and event facilities, and several new luxury suites.
The new open-air terrace complements the hotel’s existing wellness offering, Marlo Spa. With seaviews, a travertine yoga deck wrapped in lush greenery and sun-soaked, laidback vibes, it’s a great spot to settle in over summer. “As a family, we are thrilled to provide an offering that reflects what we love — not only spaces for people to connect and celebrate, but also an opportunity to invest in their health and wellbeing. We are passionate about balance, and Hotel Sorrento certainly now provides that,” says Marcus Pitt, Director at Hotel Sorrento.
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This Victorian boutique hotel takes a weekend on the Mornington Peninsula to a new level of luxury. Jackalope Hotel is smack-bang in the middle of the Peninsula’s wine region in Merricks North, just next to Red Hill. The hotel is the ‘passion project’ of 28-year-old entrepreneur Louis Li, who worked with architecture firm Carr Design Group and Fabio Ongarato Design studio to design the hotel, which is his first. The impressive exterior maintains a modern austerity while naturally fitting into the rolling landscape. At the entrance to the hotel, guests are greeted by a seven-metre-tall sculpture of a Jackalope, the mythical horned rabbit of North American folklore the hotel is named after, which does seem overdone — but then, that also seems to be the point of the hotel’s ‘extravagance to surreal proportions’ mindset.
The 46 rooms offer terrace or vineyard views, with their double-the-size ‘lair’ suites offering the best views in the house. Each room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces and hand-crafted bespoke furnishings. If you’re one for a good bath, the deep-soak, black Japanese tubs and exclusive Hunter Lab bath products will keep you utterly relaxed while you admire your fabulous self in the double vanities. It’s a bathroom well deserving of a nice glass (or bottle) of local wine, that’s for sure. If your private bath isn’t quite enough, the landscaped gardens include a 30-metre infinity pool with an adjacent pavilion for spa treatments.
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Located near the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street in South Yarra, the hotel brings plenty of 70s glam to the area with a retro design by Luchetti Krelle alongside bold furnishings and pop-art installations.
Expect graphic wallpapers, patterned couches and lots of chrome accents, plus four Rockstar suites named after iconic musicians. It also includes heaps of freebies, such as the mini-bar (including a free loot bag), breakfast with every stay, wifi, self-service laundry and a complimentary happy hour drink each day. Ovolo Laneways also got a full renovation not too long ago, so keep an eye out for that Melbourne hotel, too.
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After more than a year of exhaustive renovations, Rydges Melbourne was reborn as an entirely new and thoroughly modern hotel in the city’s theatre district in 2023. From the outside perspective of Exhibition Street it looks like little has changed from the 70s — but the interior has been totally gutted and transformed.
You’ve got a handful of stay options among the 370 luxurious rooms, plus a banging restaurant and bar (Bossley) and a heated rooftop pool that boasts some damn fine city views. State-of-the-art tech is also weaved throughout the whole building, so you can check in and out through screens in he lobby and order room service from your suite’s tele. Rydges Melbourne wasn’t one of the best hotels in Melbourne for quite some time. But it certainly is now.
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In mid-2024, a new player stepped up to bat in the Australian hospitality scene — and in Melbourne. Introducing The StandardX, already one of the city’s best hotels. The StandardX is the latest brainchild of Standard International, known for its lifestyle hotels in cosmopolitan hotspots like New York, Miami and London.
But The StandardX is a new direction for the brand. The Fitzroy concept acts as “a rebellious younger sibling” of The Standard Hotels across the globe, distilling the Standard experience to its “x factor” and taking a more minimalist and cool approach. To lift it all to the next level, the crew also popped in a wicked rooftop bar and restaurant, plus a contemporary Thai diner. Be sure to add this top Melbourne hotel to your staycation bucket list.
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This rooftop hotel in Melbourne offers a luxurious alternative to the cramped family camper you would have piled into as a kid. Sitting atop a Flinders Lane car park in the CBD, Notel Melbourne venture consists of six vintage airstream caravans transported from the US and completely refitted as “designer urban accommodation”, complete with queen size bed, split-system heating and cooling, and a fridge full of complimentary craft beer and wine.
Throw in a little laneway graffiti art, and this couldn’t get any more Melbourne if it tried. There’s also an ‘Airstream with benefits’ ultra-luxe option, which includes access to a goddamn spa outside your trailer. It’s very easily one of the best hotels in Melbourne.
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If you’re looking for Melbourne’s best pool with a view, it has to be The Langham’s. From up here, you have uninterrupted views across the Yarra River, over at Flinders Street Station and the rest of Melbourne’s cityscape. Swim a few laps up here, laze on the balcony and have the staff attend to your every need. It’s pure cosmopolitan luxury.
The Langham is also home to one of Melbourne’s best spas. The massage menu heroes traditional Chinese techniques, while multi-treatment options combine things like body wraps, plumping facials and mud masks. But it isn’t all about the pool and spa. Each of the 387 rooms is old-school opulent and offers up a range of views – our faves being over the river, of course.
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United Places’ remit was to create a home away from home. Its success is immediately apparent, with the greenery from the Royal Botanic Gardens across the road extending right into the 12 luxury suites, creating a space you won’t want to leave.
Each suite offers hardwood floors and polished kitchens, while terraces with sweeping city and parkland views complement the cosy living zones. While you’re at United Places, you’ll have to eat at chef Scott Pickett’s hatted restaurant, Matilda. The kitchen’s contemporary Australian cuisine is produced entirely over open flames and hot coals — and you won’t even have to leave your room to enjoy it, with the high-end meals delivered directly to your suite.
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The Sofitel Melbourne has had a lengthy lifespan, but after a 2022 renovation, it has transformed each of the 360 rooms into a luxe, uniquely designed accommodation. The end product is a thoroughly modern luxury hotel in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.
Each room has that classic Sofitel French flair paired with all the latest tech. They’ve even got tablets in each room, making it so much easier to order room service, request any newspaper you like or reach out to their concierge, who can help you explore the city. But you can’t talk about the Sofitel without mentioning the views. You see all of Melbourne’s main landmarks from here — from the Arts Centre Spire and the NGV to Flinders Street Station and Fed Square.
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At the start of 2023 the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne was unveiled in all its luxurious 80-storey glory. Here, they’ve flipped the script on the usual hotel formula and it’s designed to be experienced from the top down; the guest rooms and suites are located on floors 65 to 79, with the impressive Sky Lobby Reception way up on Level 80, where guests are met with lofty ceilings and huge windows offering panoramic views.
There are three on-site venues to satisfy guests: Atria is the innovative fine-diner celebrating hyper-seasonality, Cameo is the glam cocktail bar promising top-shelf sipping, and the Lobby Lounge is the more casual counterpart that’ll also play host to high tea sessions. It even has its own luxury spa looking out over the city.
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QT Melbourne is a multi-faceted playground for its guests. The lobby and common areas are filled with lots of colourful lighting, mountains of modern furniture and elaborate wallpaper. Then, in the stunning guest rooms, you’ll find timber flooring, state-of-the-art technology and designer furniture that’s at once quirky and tasteful.
In addition to this luxe accommodation, the Melbourne hotel also has some serious eats: Parisian-style dinners at Pascale Bar and Grill, pastries in The Cake Shop, laneway bar feels and Korean food at Hot Sauce, and a newly refurbed rooftop bar, too. The ‘secret’ rooftop garden is also open to private events, and is a proper hidden gem in Melbourne.
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Located in the heart of Melbourne on the iconic Flinders Lane, Quincy Melbourne’s 241 rooms reflect the colour and vibrance of the city. Each room is full of bright and bold patterned soft furnishings — aimed at bringing the essence of South-East Asia to Melbourne.
Offering standard, deluxe and club rooms, all boast inclusions such as free wifi, espresso coffee, premium tea selection, pillow menu (yes, that’s a thing), Kevin Murphy bathroom amenities and free on-demand movies at no extra cost. The Quincy Hotel also offers up three separate dining venues catering to any and all of your dining and drinking whims, plus a sky-high pool with city views. All this combines to create one of the best hotels in Melbourne.
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With its sky-high pool adorned in gold, elaborate laneway cocktail bar and slick designer finishes throughout, W Melbourne is a study in contemporary opulence right across its 265 guest rooms and 29 suites.
There’s even an especially indulgent ‘Extreme Wow Suite’, boasting a jukebox, cocktail bar and private 40-square-metre balcony with river views. The lavish heated indoor pool with sweeping vistas and gold-trimmed surrounds offers even fancier vibes. And hidden bar Curious is just one of four primo on-site hospitality venues featuring innovative cocktails in a stunning cocoon-like space.
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The 80 Collins precinct isn’t just home to a growing number of top-notch restaurants, bars and cafes — it’s also the address of Next Hotel Melbourne. Launched in March 2021, this opulent 225-room escape is a design-lover’s dream, fitted out with an abundance of marble, plus art by the likes of Jonny Niesche and Julia Gorman.
All the luxe suites boast features like Hunter Lab toiletries and Dyson hairdryers, as well as handy in-room cocktail-mixing stations. This Melbourne hotel is also home to one of the finest whisky bars in Melbourne, The Barrel Room, where they host immersive decanting and dinner experiences each week. Stop by for a few drams before hitting up the hotel’s neighbouring La Madonna to have one of the best Peking-style dry-aged ducks you’ll ever try.
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Want to be beside the sea in the heart of St Kilda? Pick The Prince Hotel, which happily sits just a short tram ride away from the Melbourne CBD and a quick stroll from the sand.
Here, you’ll find comfortable, polished and modern rooms that look to be pulled straight out of a design magazine, with the hotel rocking an upscale beachy vibe while also highlighting the building’s art deco architecture. There are six different suite styles available at The Prince, decked out with elegant pops of colour and specially commissioned photography works by Tom Blachford and Kate Ballis. Make sure you also drop by the Prince Public Bar and boutique wine bar Little Prince Wine when spending the night as well.
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The Grand Hyatt is a Melbourne institution. It originally opened in 1986 and has since undergone several renovations to keep it on the list of the best hotels in Melbourne. The 5-star stay, located on Collins Street, is out-and-out luxury.
Wake up and take full advantage of its epic buffet breakfast at the Collins Kitchen before spending the rest of the day getting pampered. Live in a plush towel robe for the day as you jump from the spa to the pool – either by yourself, with your special someone or within a group of mates. Enjoy a few cocktails at the Grand Hyatt’s Ru-Co Bar before jumping right back into the towel robe to enjoy room service in bed.
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Opened in mid-2021, the Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands is the suburb’s only five-star hotel, featuring a whole swag of on-site hospitality venues, including a swanky rooftop bar and pool. The site boasts 189 luxury rooms kitted out with features like ‘retail-inspired wardrobes’ and 55-inch LCD TVs. The whole design aesthetic of the petal-shaped building is inspired by the contours of a yacht, so expect sleek curves aplenty, backed by plenty of curated art installations and sculptured statement pieces.
Then, there’s the hefty collection of food and drink offerings presented in collaboration with the Peter Rowland Group, including one adjacent to the hotel’s crowning glory — the stunning infinity pool, complemented by sweeping views to the west.
Top image: Hannah St Hotel.
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