Hotels

The neo-gothic half of Intercontinental’s Melbourne address dates back to the gold-rush days of the 1890s. The series of apartments, offices and wool and wheat storage may have been forgotten by the 1960s but, after careful restoration of the original building and construction of a second structure to mirror it, a hotel moved in during the 1980s and InterContinental took ownership in 2008. Today this 253-room hotel is a sound choice for working travellers, with a business centre, 13 meeting rooms, four eating and drinking outposts, 24-hour room service, a rooftop pool and gym, plus a day spa. The rooms are simple, with subdued furnishings, plush linens and cream marble counters in the bathrooms. 

Visitors to Melbourne looking for picture-postcard ocean views are likely to be a little disappointed but The Prince in St Kilda offers the next-best thing. The hotel’s streamlined art deco balconies give the heritage-listed 1937 building the air of a lofty ocean liner, while granting guests views of the palm trees lining the waterfront. It was refurbished and reopened in 1999 with 39 rooms but there has been a guesthouse on this site since the 1860s so The Prince is no stranger to hospitality. A tasteful spruce-up in 2017 saw a subtle beachside theme rolled out across the building in a palette of earthy pastels.

Located behind the Old Treasury Building, surrounded by century-old elms, the Park Hyatt Melbourne feels tranquil while still being a stone’s throw from the CBD. It also benefits from the five-star grandeur that comes with operating under the umbrella of a well-run international chain. A flashy lobby (think lots of marble, mahogany and gold) connects the two towers housing 245 comfortable rooms, 24 of which are suites. For city views, we recommend requesting a stay in the Park Tower. In 2018 a refresh of the rooms was completed by British textile designer and artist David Parsons.