The best boutique hotels in Melbourne, Australia for an art & design-filled good time
Stay on trend.
We’ve already shared our fave places to stay in Sydney and Perth, but what if you’re looking for a unique spot in Australia’s capital of culture (and coffee!) The very best boutique hotels in Melbourne put great service at the forefront and offer guests the opportunity to exist within exceptional design stories.
These are the best boutique hotels in Melbourne
1. Ovolo South Yarra
Ovolo South Yarra is one of Melbourne’s most gorgeous design-led hotels, decked out in fun decor inspired by retro art and fashion. Designer Luchetti Krelle has added funky art installations, pops of colourful furniture, and quirky accessories throughout, making it feel like the home you wish you had.
The 123 rooms span from the Go Go Snug, through Boogie City, and onto Rock Star Suites. The latter are dedicated to famous stars such as Sonny & Cher and include king-sized beds, a mini cocktail bar, a 55” TV, and a complimentary snack bag, plus custom artwork. On top of this, you’ll get 24-hour virtual gym access, all-day sweets and complimentary breakfast.
This fairly compact hotel may not pack in a pool or spa, but there’s plenty to experience, including the Latin-inspired, vegetarian Lona Misa restaurant on the ground floor. In the hotel’s basement, quirky bar Backroom has speakeasy vibes, pool tables, and video games, along with a long list of cocktails.
Read our full review of Ovolo South Yarra.
Learn more about Ovolo South Yarra
2. QT Melbourne
In a prime location off Bourke Street in Melbourne’s CBD, QT is just steps from the city’s best restaurants, shops, and cafes. Combining chic industrial design with cosy timber, individually commissioned artworks and unusual yet playful furnishings, the hotel nails the Melbourne aesthetic.
QT is made up of some 188 rooms where the unique designs do not slow down, each one containing slate bathrooms with free-standing tubs, leather sofas and pendant lighting. The rooms are rounded out with luxury Kevin Murphy toiletries, Bose sound systems, and a Nespresso machine.
Melburnians are proud of their divine food scene, which QT manages to pack into its four walls. Stop by Pascal Bar & Grill for high-end international cuisine that uses Australian ingredients, and there’s no place but Rooftop at QT for twinkling city views and evening drinks. The quirkiest activity at QT however is at their shop, Tanto, which offers handcrafted Japanese knives made by ancient sword makers.
Read our full review of QT Melbourne.
Find out more about QT Melbourne
3. The Royce
There’s arguably no better place for The Royce, a former showroom for iconic Rolls Royce cars, to live, than the sunny upmarket neighbourhood of St. Kilda. Inside, it’s stuck to its roots with lavish gold, dripping chandeliers and wrought iron staircases paired with plush cherry red furniture.
There are 100 rooms and suites in various sizes, but the one that caught our eye is the Terrace, unsurprisingly with a private balcony overlooking the Melbourne skyline. Inside the rooms, the velvet chaise longues, soft carpets and marble bathrooms will have you kicking back in style, as will the fully stocked minibar, Dyson hairdryer, and automatic blinds.
Drinking and dining are divided between The Showroom Bar, which serves a full menu of international dishes and artfully prepared cocktails, and The Terrace, where you can enjoy a classic Melbourne pastime – brunch, except here it’s served with champagne.
Find out more about The Royce
4. Adelphi Hotel
When it comes to the best boutique hotels in Melbourne, The Adelphi takes the prize for having the most spirited design. Helmed by Fady Hachem and inspired by Melbourne’s art, culture, and food scene, the focus here is on sweet treats. You’ll feel like Charlie with his golden ticket when you step foot inside: there’s artwork everywhere you look, from the giant mesh horse and carriage in the lobby to the chairs shaped like liquorice allsorts and the carpets emblazoned with cake.
A rarity in compact Melbourne, The Adelphi has its own rooftop pool, featuring lush plants and pink loungers that sit just above busy Flinders Lane.
The rooms are colourful and quirky, with zigzag flooring, bright pink loveseats, and huge mirrored bathrooms, not to mention the complimentary minibar, unlimited new movie releases and HUNTER Lab toiletries. Because you can’t visit without trying the food, Om Nom serves an array of sharing plates and in keeping with the theme, a quite spectacular range of desserts and afternoon tea.
Learn more about The Adelphi
5. United Places Hotel Botanic Gardens
Sleek, simple, and modern are the only words you need to describe United Places, which is located in a quieter area of Melbourne by the Botanical Gardens. The stylish building by architecture firm CARR has a pared-back, brutalist design, combining glass, leather, wood, and concrete, which extends to the furnishings inside the 12 suites.
Coming with floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies overlooking the leafy street below, each one has a concierge service, minibar, La Labo toiletries, and a king-sized bed, plus mod-cons like complimentary movie streaming on the 55” TV.
Since space is at a premium, the hotel takes wellness outside to the Botanic Gardens, where they host regular walks in the sunshine. You can also rent bikes at reception, or break out the in-room gym equipment for a virtual workout.
Their downstairs eatery, Matilda 159, is led by renowned Chef Scott Pickett and serves seasonal Australian dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner.
Discover more about United Places Hotel Botanic Gardens
6. Hotel No
Prepare for a stay unlike any other in Melbourne, if not Australia, in one of Hotel No’s six sleek 1970s Airstream trailers. Inside each one, a soft comfy bed comes with a well-stocked minibar, an iPad Pro with Netflix included, and an in-room photo printer (because you won’t want to forget this stay!)
You’ll have a virtual concierge, premium ECOSA bedding, and an ensuite bathroom with a pink shower, while the single ‘Airstream with Benefits’ also has a deck area and open-air hot tub. There’s no dining option, but you can pre-book a cheese platter and alcoholic drinks before you check-in, and Melbourne’s food-centric CBD is just outside.
Learn more about Hotel No
7. Zagame’s House
Opulence is key at Zagame’s House, where the design created by Melbourne-based Lukas Partners features soft grey fabrics, dark wood, and brushed copper furnishings. Choose between a House Pad, Corner Suite, or Neon Suite, where soft lighting and fluffy black robes offer a twist on the usual classic white hotel rooms.
We didn’t know we needed two libraries until we found out about Zagame’s Corner Suites, which feature two, one for wine and one for books, plus Chromecasts and a minibar for all-night enjoyment.
In true Melbourne style, the onsite restaurant, 1851, is also a coffee shop that dishes up Australian-sourced produce. Don’t forget the Lord Lygon wine shop and bar where you can enjoy dinner with one of Australia’s famous vintages or take some home as a souvenir.
Learn more about Zagame’s House
8. The Cullen Melbourne
Opposite Prahran Market and bursting with beautiful art, in tribute to late Australian artist Adam Cullen after whom it was named, The Cullen is the place to stay in Melbourne’s most stylish neighbourhood.
The building is geometric, with cube-shaped rooms and shared spaces, designed with mirrored walls, glass furniture and a neon colour scheme. The apartment-style rooms come with kitchenettes, iPod docks, and Adam Cullen artwork – which is also displayed throughout the hotel and can be viewed on a guided tour.
The hotel has a cosy gym for working off all the best food in the city, or that which you’ve cooked yourself in your suite, although the hotel actually has its own restaurant onsite. For a light snack, the Chinese Hutong Dumpling Bar will sate all your East Asian cravings, while the bar mixes up refreshing evening cocktails.
Find out more about The Cullen Melbourne
9. Treasury on Collins
Melbourne isn’t all modern hotels with 21st Century design, which is why we love Treasury on Collins, which sits inside one of the city’s beautiful 19th Century corner buildings. They’ve stayed on key with the design here, matching the historic neoclassical exteriors and vaulted foyer with lavish interiors that combine gilded columns with thick patterned wallpapers and velvet furniture.
The heritage rooms are more simple, with light wooden furniture and bright white bathrooms in all. Amenities include small kitchenettes, Nespresso machines, complimentary Netflix, and Molton Brown toiletries, while some suites also have balconies.
For a meal worthy of such a building, head to the onsite restaurant The Bank, which serves an array of international dishes such as seafood linguine, sauteed barramundi and Melbourne favourite, The Bank Parma.
Discover more about Treasury on Collins
10. Ink Hotel Melbourne Southbank
Right in the centre of Melbourne’s CBD, Ink refers to itself as a ‘hangout’ so you already know it’s going to be a fun stay. There are four room types: Pocket, Buddy, Comfy, and Extra, each with homely decor, big beds, and flatscreen TVs. They also have Metis toiletries and a minifridge, and we love that they don’t use single-use bottles for anything.
They know how to keep people fed and watered here, where the restaurant serves four meals a day (brunch counts too!), along with wine, beer, and cocktails with their own Happy Hour menu. Ink attracts a young crowd, and there are a few different, cosy co-working spaces within the hotel that are perfect for enjoying a coffee, a sundowner, or making new friends.
Find out more about Ink Hotel Melbourne Southbank
11. The Lyall Hotel (one to watch)
Newbies on Melbourne’s hotel scene face fierce competition, but The Lyal Hotel, which has stood since 2002 and recently underwent renovation is arguably just taking back its spot among the other icons on our list.
Slated to open in late 2023, the hotel was designed with Europe in mind, featuring 49 rooms and suites, some of which have Parisian balconies. Signature Suites will also have garden views and dressing rooms, while the Grand Suites have fireplaces and an outdoor terrace.
Dining and hotel amenities are as yet unannounced, but based on the Scandi interiors, liberal use of marble and contemporary artwork; we’re already confident they’ll be eye-catching and Instagram-worthy.
Learn more about The Lyall Hotel
But wait, there’s more…
- These are the best five-star hotels in London
- Find out why we loved our stay at the newly renovated Regent Hong Kong
- And meet the world’s best hotel designers
