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.
Novotel St Kilda is now open at 35 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. Head to the website for more information.
Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Images: Supplied.