Overview
When you're trying to make the most of Melbourne's liveliest foreshore, having a suitably sea-breezy hotel to rest your head keeps you close to the fun. Just opened, Novotel St Kilda will be a top choice for locals and travellers alike, with 80 brand-new rooms, a sweeping rooftop vantage point and a coastal colour palette that matches the surrounding streets.
Taking over the former Saint Kilda Beach Hotel, this new stay is backed by a multi-million-dollar renovation. Yet the project is also a part of something much larger. Fitzroy Street's strip is currently amid an extensive $196 million urban renewal, with the City of Port Phillip making a big investment alongside project partners ERDI, Fortis and Ondas to bring about a new heyday.
Inside, the hotel's 80 rooms and suites have been given a top-to-bottom makeover. Think bold colours, coastal-inspired detailing and Nespresso machines, plus guests can choose from the full spectrum of layouts, including single, family and interconnected rooms. Meanwhile, guests enter the hotel via a light-filled garden atrium, with self-check-in and 24-hour service adding to the convenience.
While the property is only a short stroll from local landmarks like St Kilda Beach, Luna Park and the Palais Theatre, there's plenty of reason to stay in, too. On level five, an open-air rooftop with space for 150 guests offers uninterrupted views of the city skyline and Port Phillip Bay. Also inside, a striking ballroom is here for your wedding or corporate gathering, while a smaller boardroom features its own private courtyard.
St Kilda is flush with stellar dining experiences — Fitzroy Street alone offers Mahjong's Cantonese fare and Prince Public Bar's easygoing feeds. But the hotel brings its own flavours to the strip with Urban Kitchen & Bar now serving modern Australian meets coastal cuisine from breakfast through dinner. Expect stacked burgers, wood-fired pizzas, freshly shucked oysters, seafood pastas and market fish.
The bar menu is also considered, featuring a mostly Victorian lineup, spanning the Grampians' cool-climate estates to Heathcote's full-bodied shiraz. Yet with your proximity to the coastline, the signature cocktail offering is bound to appeal, with a grapefruit paloma, a limoncello spritz and a salted caramel espresso martini among the debut standout sips.
