Hotels

Adelphi Hotel
This discreet Flinders Lane property, designed by Denton Korker Marshall in the early 90s, was one of Australia’s first boutique hotels. It helped establish Melbourne’s reputation as a design-conscious town, as well as sparking the laneway revolution. Rooms have a warehouse quality, despite spatial limitations. Its fabulous cantilevered rooftop pool juts out above the street and the rooftop club bar has wonderful river views. Its rigid aesthetic can be polarising. The new Hepburn Spa wellness retreat will, on the other hand, please all.
187 Flinders Ln
tel: 8080-8888

Westin Melbourne
An odd mix of ocean liner meets Haussmann-era apartment building design from the outside, inside the Westin gets timeless luxury hotel style right. The any-city lobby, with its high ceilings and sweeping central staircase, is humanised with work by artists such as Bill Henson. Standard rooms feature Country Road furniture and signature (and trademarked) ‘heavenly beds’. Not all rooms have spire or treetop views; ask when booking.
205 Collins St
tel: 1800 656 535

Windsor Hotel
One of Australia’s most famous and self-consciously grand hotels, this five-star example of Marvellous Melbourne–era opulence exudes old-fashioned luxury. Beware those whose Victorian tat meter is set to high; if you don’t mind a plump, swagged pelmet or two, you’ll love the walk-in robes, large marble bathrooms and the old wing’s original high ceilings. Service is exemplary while being refreshingly down to earth.
111 Spring St
tel: 1800 033 100

Majorca Apartment
This is the ultimate in like-a-local living. The Majorca, a single apartment, is one of the city’s loveliest Art Deco buildings and watches over a bustling vortex of laneways. It’s stylishly furnished, has timber floorboards and the windows are huge. Who needs a concierge when you’re right in the centre of things already? There’s a two-night minimum and sliding scale according to length of stay; the owners can arrange transfers and provisions if you so desire.
258 Flinders Lane
tel: 9428 8104

Park Hyatt
Resembling a Californian shopping mall from the outside, the interior understands luxury to be about wood panelling, shiny surfaces and miles of marble. Rooms are elegantly subdued, and most come complete with super-sized baths, clever layouts that maximise your chance of seeing natural light and lovely treetop-level views. There’s a lavish indoor pool, plus a great tennis court and whiz-bang business facilities. Perfect if you want to be super-close to the city but also have some park-fuelled peace and quiet too.
1 Parliament Sq