While Sydney is renowned for its sea and shopping, and Perth is all about that wine life, Melbourne is a city known for its incredible cafés, outstanding dining venues, world-class sporting events, and fantastic cultural offerings. More recently though, a plethora of stylish boutique hotels are popping up across town, both within the CBD and a little further afield. We recently checked into Ovolo South Yarra, in one of the city’s perennially trendy inner-city suburbs, to discover a bold, creative bolthole.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Review of Ovolo South Yarra in Melbourne

Hong Kong-headquartered hospitality brand Ovolo Hotels specialises in spunky, character-filled properties that combine bold design and curated food, all driven by heavy lashings of creativity. However, thanks to strict local regulations, much of that creativity couldn’t be fully enjoyed during my first ever, pandemic-enforced quarantine stay at an Ovolo hotel in Hong Kong in late 2021.

Ovolo South Yarra Melbourne reception
From start to finish, this stay was a treat for the senses

Thankfully, walking into the bold, spacious lobby of Ovolo South Yarra, I was immediately surrounded by the fun, audacious experience that the brand promises…so this is what an Ovolo hotel is supposed to feel like!

Comfy seating is arranged around a faux fireplace, Pop Art tributes to David Bowie, Debbie Harry, and movies like A Clockwork Orange range over the lifts, and behind the reception desk, friendly, smiling staff stand ready to check guests in.

Rock chic

Hidden on a corner off Chapel Street and Toorak Road, Ovolo South Yarra achieves that delicate balance of being a welcome escape for travellers and an appealing destination for locals. The neighbourhood is well known for its fashionista boutiques, trendy bars, and laid-back restaurants offering gourmet fare, and this spritely hotel manages to fit right in—then turn the tables to stand out.

Beyond the elegant simplicity of its clientele—laid-back outfits in black are a must here—and the eatery where locals pop in for working breakfasts and after-hours bevvies, Ovolo South Yarra pays tribute to classic Melbourne insouciance in a design aesthetic that blends disco queens and rock gods with mid-century retro chic and plenty of pop art. With bright pops of colour and groovy patterns to Soul Train beats and Rockstar Suites named for two of the era’s most infamous couples—Sonny and Cher and John and Yoko—you might just find yourself spontaneously compelled to hum a few bars of Stayin’ Alive or That’s the Way (I Like It).

The room

Ovolo South Yarra Melbourne Groovy City room
The Groovy City room

Like the rest of the hotel, rooms at Ovolo South Yarra take their cues from the halcyon days of Studio 54, when moderation was definitely not a virtue, Andy Warhol’s Factory was the centre of the art world, and disco was all the rage. Translation: expect retro touches, graphics inspired by the pop-art movement, and plenty of pops of colours and patterns.

My first impression on walking into my Groovy City room was that it was small. But a second glance revealed that what it lacked in size, it made up for with creature comforts—and lots of punchy personality. There’s a deliciously cosy queen bed, backdropped by a plush, oversized headboard and patterned wallpaper in shades of green that’s straight from the 70s.

There’s also a flatscreen with device-mirroring capabilities and plenty of charging points—both hallmarks of any hotel worth its salt these days. Then there’s the industrial-esque open wardrobe that’s an Ovolo signature. The best part, though, is the complimentary minibar—wines and beers included—stocked with local treats, and the loot bag full of snacks. Tying all this deliciousness together? Idiosyncratic retro objets d’art, including a vintage-style camera, framed record, artist’s hand model, and ceramic cacti.

Southside superstar

While the location and rooms are reason enough to book a stay at Ovolo South Yarra, the hotel has plenty more to offer guests.

On the ground floor, Lona Misa is a surprisingly spacious restaurant filled with plenty of quirky art, leather banquettes and booths, and open windows on one end. Helmed by chef Shannon Martinez of Smith & Daughters, the restaurant specialises in Latin-inspired vegan and vegetarian food, adhering to Ovolo Hotels’ mission to be more sustainable by nixing meat and fish from its menus. Breakfast is served here—the coffee is excellent, naturally, while the baked buttermilk pancakes with vanilla syrup, lime cream, and seasonal fruits, are at once surprising and delightful. There’s also a daily social hour in the late afternoon, where guests can kick back with a drink and canapé of the day.

The hotel’s basement packs plenty more surprises. Backroom is a chic little cocktail divan that draws inspiration from America’s Prohibition-era speakeasy. Guests can follow the neon Martini glass signate to find an intimate space that serves art deco design alongside deliciously decadent cocktails infused with top-shelf and boutique spirits. Outside this bolthole, the games room is decked out with brightly-coloured Pop Art on the walls, a solid pool table, and even a hidden nook for video games.

For someone who had only ever sampled the Ovolo experience during a pandemic—with heavy-handed restrictions for compulsory quarantine—Ovolo South Yarra is a revelation. The full complement of the brand’s offerings—boundary-pushing concepts, in-your-face design, great food, and plenty of small touches that make a big difference—create a hotel worth staying at, but its seamless integration into the suburb of South Yarra will give guests a truly Melbourne experience.

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