Inside Melbourne’s best boutique and luxury hotels for 2025

Best Melbourne hotel for timeless luxury

Perched high above the CBD skyline, this 80-story hotel is a feat in modern architecture. Offering breathtaking views from every one of its 257 rooms and suites (which occupies no lower than level 65), guests get their first taste of the impressive vistas by ascending the high-speed elevator to the 80th floor to check in at the ‘sky lobby’. It’s the level that is also home to the in-house restaurant, headed by executive chef Michael Greenlaw (ex-Vue de Monde).

Marble, timber and velvet details, original art and walk-in robes add to the sense of being in a meticulously appointed sky-high eyrie where a subtle Melbourne vibe contrasts with the not-so-subtle Melbourne view.

Michael Harden, GT State Editor and Writer

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Address: 650 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC

Best Melbourne hotel for sophisticated suites

Chic mid-century design, a rooftop pool terrace with views of the city and Parliament house, and a carefully sourced coffee collection served by a master barista – this is the quintessential Melbourne hotel. Located in the heart of the city’s theatre district, the 1950s building started as a hotel before morphing into a theatre, cinema, nightclub and live performance venue. It’s now come full circle, with architecture firm Peddle Thorp reimagining the interiors of the 12-storey space behind the historical Art Deco façade. The hotel offers 235 guest rooms and suites, a ground floor café, bar and restaurant.

For those looking to push the boat out, the hotel’s two-bedroom Palace Suite is one of Melbourne’s more affordable Presidential Suites. Poised above the city’s skyline, this top-floor residence is the hotel’s crown jewel, spanning 91 square metres and boasting uninterrupted views of Parliament House and the theatre district. Inside, the suite pairs art deco flourishes with contemporary polish: think retro-chic furnishings, marble accents and even a record player paired with a stack of carefully curated vinyls. 

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Address: 20 Bourke St, Melbourne Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for something new

Just 800 metres from Federation Square, Melbourne Place hotel is the new kid on the block to watch. Each dreamy room is dressed with a coffee machine, minibar and flat-screen televisions, as well as balconies with sprawling city views. Kick back and relax on the guest-only terrace, or sip and snack at the in-house restaurant and bar, Mid Air. Or, make your way over the Ross and Sunny Lusted’s recently opened venues, Marmelo and Mr Mills, located within the same complex.

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Address: 130 Russell St, Melbourne Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for cutting-edge style

International hotel brand Standard has landed in Fitzroy as the 125-room hip hotel makes its Australian debut with the introduction of its new offshoot, The StandardX. The opening inducts the inner north ‘burb to a list of hospitality hotspots in New York, Miami and London. From the fireplace-lit lobby to the hotel guest-exclusive rooftop, the mood is suitably cool and curated. Add in an all-day Thai diner Bang and it’s easy to see why the StandardX is already making waves.

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Address: 62 Rose St, Fitzroy Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for classic elegance

The Langham is proudly analogue in a digital age. The secret to its success is simple: know thy customer. Old-fashioned ritual and service prevail – just ask the dressed-to-impress crowd enjoying the daily high tea, the stay-cationers lazing near the riverfront pool, or the genteel throng at Melba Restaurant, where buffet dining is anything but abject.

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Address: 1 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, Melbourne, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for an homage to history

Housed in former Rolls Royce showroom, the aptly named hotel has reopened its doors to guests following an extensive two-year renovation. Originally designed in 1928 by renowned Art Deco architect Harry Norris and the leading agent for prestige cars at the time, Kellow Falkiner, the new décor and design pay homage to this history; from the soft leather upholstery to the restored cornices. Comprising 94 rooms and suites, the hotel is located on the border of Melbourne city and leafy South Yarra, just a short walk from the Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park. The in-house dining experience will transport guests back to the hey day of hospitality, starting with breakfast in The Terrace followed by classic British fare served up in the all-day dining space, Showroom Bar.

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Address: 379 St Kilda Road, Melbourne Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for a modern stay

Old-world charm meets modern convenience at this centrally located landmark, tucked away on little-known laneway on Queen Street. Housed in the 1930s Equity Chambers building, the 244-room hotel has been thoughtfully restored by design firm Bates Smart to maintain its sense of grandeur. When it comes to the rooms, choose from light, bright and contemporary in the tower wing, or transport to a bygone era with a wood-panelled suite in the heritage wing. Onsite restaurant Luci – set in the old grand hall, a Gatsby-esque space – serves up locally sourced plates of Italian fare while the Douglas Bar is accommodating of both pre-drinks and nightcaps. With direct access to Bourke Street and a tram stop on the doorstop, the Hilton is a stylish sanctuary right in the heart of the culture capital.

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Address: 18 Little Queen Street, Melbourne Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for boutique charm

Just five kilometres south-east, via the Royal Botanic Gardens, you’ll find a taste of the Melburnian luxe life. Food, design, art and culture all intersect in the lively Chapel Street and Toorak Road – and there you’ll find the Ovolo. In the boutique chain’s true fashion, the hotel dials up the design to 11, with collaborators Luchetti Krelle calling on ’70s rock gods and Studio 54’s disco queens as their muses. In the lobby, this retrofuturistic mood centres around the neon fireplace. Then there’s the bar, which comes alive at “social hour” when guests drink free, and on-site vegan restaurant Lona Misa by local chefs Shannon Martinez from Smith & Daughters and Ian Curley from Kirk’s Wine bar. It’s edgy, it’s fun, it’s everything Melbourne is and then some.

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Address: 234 Toorak Road, South Yarra Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for a CBD stay

Compared with other hotels in QT’s flamboyant stable, the boutique Melbourne hotel is positively minimalist. You may not discern this from the staircase flanked by an installation of stacked paperbacks, which leads to the velvet and leather-clad Pascale Bar & Grill with party soundtrack. But the mood calms noticeably on the way to the guestrooms, which feature high, raw-concrete ceilings, oak floors, large windows and city glimpses.

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Address: 133 Russell St, Melbourne Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for a vibrant stay

The W has been delighting lodgers since it defiantly flung open its doors in early 2021; offering the breath of fresh air the city needed. Located in the iconic Flinders Lane, the hotel takes its design cues from the streets; with bold colours and a playful tongue-in-cheek ethos around every corner. The 294 rooms and suites are a fusion of the signature style of the W chain coupled with the grittiness of the city’s culture – a modern take on Art Deco. The hotel isn’t short on amenities either; an Instagram-worthy pool, fully fitted out gym, two bars and three restaurants. Just bring your packed bags and move in.

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Address: 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for eco-conscious luxury

The once-industrial shell of the Goods Shed No. 5 has been reborn as 1 Hotel Melbourne, but not before its bones were respectfully salvaged. Railway timbers reappear as rich architectural details, while bluestone floors echo the city’s pavements. Towering ceilings and organic curves give the spaces room to breathe, while cleverly placed foliage guides your gaze through the ground floor. A palette of soft neutrals combines with warm light, and joinery designed to be touched, for a result that’s modern without feeling clinical. You might also spot a pooch or two (the whole hotel is dog-friendly), aligning nicely with a self-care focus that highlights the pristine indoor swimming pool and dry sauna. 

The onsite restaurant, From Here by Mike, sees chef Mike McEnearney connecting with growers, farmers and producers – a talent he’s honed over the years in Sydney, not least as curator at Carriageworks. Deploying his networking knack in Victoria means diners get to enjoy a bounty of seasonal dishes championing local produce. There’s also the hip Neighbours Café, where you can order Melbourne’s signature brew, Magic, alongside green smoothies and pastries. For something stiffer Crane Bar & Lounge has a succinct cocktail menu, where medjool dates spruce up an Old Fashioned and Mount Zero olives localise Martinis.

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Address: 9 Maritime Place, Docklands, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for a heritage chic stay

Nestled between Parliament House and Fitzroy Gardens, Lanson Place Parliament Gardens occupies the former Salvation Army Printing Works, bringing new polish to a storied corner of East Melbourne. Opened in late 2024, the $80 million redevelopment features soaring glass, red brick, and light-filled interiors anchored by a sculptural paperbark-inspired lobby installation. Rooms and residences are occupied with pale timber floors, floor-to-ceiling windows framing leafy gardens or city views, and soothing bright whites, with the occasional pop of colour. Apartments include full kitchens and soaking tubs, while penthouses boast sunlit rooftop terraces. Dining at Chronicle 502 Bar & Dining features white marble interiors and an impressive $48 steak, perfect for casual dinners or drinks. For something quieter, breakfast is served upstairs in the Albert Lounge.

Address: 502 Albert St, East Melbourne, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for urban grandeur

Crown Metropol is a far cry from clichés of casino hotels. Instead of plush pile and complimentary chips it’s all clean lines, Danish-influenced design and casual, even quirky touches that create a seam of character in one of the country’s largest hotels. A stay here is not complete with a visit to one of the nation’s best hotel pools – an infinity-edge affair with ocean views.

Address: 8 Whiteman St, Southbank, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for refined indulgence

The cavernous and opulent lobby at Melbourne’s Park Hyatt, a noughties monument in wood and marble, sets the tone for the whole hotel: sizable, proud, and a little dated. The scale and splendour are best expressed in the hotel’s large guestrooms – at 48 square metres, they’re claimed as the city’s biggest – each with a bath set in Italian marble and a walk-in wardrobe.

Address: 1 Parliament Sq, East Melbourne

Best Melbourne hotel for contemporary style

There’s a foosball table in the foyer; Ned Kelly and his gang lurk on level four. Any hotel named in honour of the late “avant-grit” artist Adam Cullen is duty-bound to do things differently and The Cullen lives up to its hype, its walls a retrospective of the Archibald winner’s spirit. It wears its off-Chapel Street location well, leaning on ground-floor tenant HuTong Dumpling Bar as its dining option.

Address: 164 Commercial Rd, Prahran

Best Melbourne hotel for a little touch of grandeur

It’s not just the Grand Hyatt’s award-winning buffet breakfast that drives a brisk repeat business; the brass-and-awe lobby impresses without snobbery, as do the discreet and friendly staff. A step in any direction is a choose-your-own adventure, to the gym (a full-blown 24-hour fitness centre), the rooftop tennis court or Ru-Co, the hotel’s destination cocktail bar.

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Address: 123 Collins St, Melbourne VIC

Best Melbourne hotel for artistic flair

This South Yarra member of the Art Series Hotels is graced with lyrical original works and prints by John Olsen in public areas and guestrooms alike. Fancy a dip? The 25-metre glass-bottomed pool outside on the first-floor deck comes with views over Chapel Street, or simply kick back poolside, cocktail in hand, and flick through an art book from the range in your room. This could just be the best boutique hotel Melbourne has to offer.

Address: 637-641 Chapel St, South Yarra, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for discreet sophistication

Pitched as “the hotel for those who don’t like hotels”, this latest instalment of The Lyall dishes up South Yarra sizzle for those who want to belong. The 49-room boutique hotel in Melbourne, tucked off the main drag of boutiques and bistros, has all the neighbourhood appeal of an upscale townhouse but with 24-hour service and a bar and restaurant on the premises. The hotel reopened in 2024 under the team that brought us Melbourne’s glitzy Royce Hotel with dreamy, updated interiors by DKO dialling up the luxury.

Address: 16 Murphy St, South Yarra, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for business ease

Reopening last year after an overhaul, this Rydges is both sleek and welcoming. Located directly across from Her Majesty’s Theatre, the hotel is a hot ticket for those visiting Melbourne for a show. There’s also a chic heated rooftop pool and several rooms offering kitchenettes and spacious lounge rooms.

Address: 186 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for Parisian elegance

A marquee name in a top-end city location, the Sofitel prevails because of old-fashioned virtues: service par excellence delivered with Gallic charm. With two types of iced tea offered during check-in, massage chairs in the 36th-floor gym, and in-room tablets to order anything from a taxi to a dental kit, Sofitel leaves the impression that everything has been thoroughly considered.

Address: 25 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic

Best Melbourne hotel for waterfront views

Marriott’s an exceptional old hat in the hotel game, and their five-star Docklands location is no snag in that general blanket of excellence. Expect warm greetings from friendly lobby staff and a chilled glass of Champagne on arrival. The sophisticated rooms come in a range of sizes from spacious two-bedroom suites to well-appointed intimate rooms, each furnished with plush, design-led interiors, well-lit workspaces and espresso machines. Enjoy a panoramic view of the harbour-centric side of Melbourne from the rooftop deck, or dine in-house at one of four luxe offerings.

Address: 15 Waterfront Way, Docklands, Vic