Fashion and comedy festivals, the Grand Prix and a smattering of Taylor Swift tour dates within the space of a month have propelled Melbourne into the headlines for all the right reasons of late.
Home to a cooler, more creative crowd than Sydney, its high streets are packed with eateries and boutiques, galleries, bars and, inevitably, coffee, for which Australia’s second city has rightly made its name. No wonder, then, that new hotels have begun moving in at pace: including the country’s second Ritz-Carlton, towering 80 stories above the city.
Where?
In the Southbank, Melbourne’s skyscraper central. Within 10 minutes of leaving the hotel, you can be strolling along the river walkway or checking out street art on Flinders Lane. It’s also located in the city’s free tram zone, so you can get to Queen Street, the main shopping drag, in about five minutes.
It’s not the coolest neighbourhood, but it is an excellent launchpad for heading to St Kilda beach, hipster Fitzroy and more. As well as being a top viewing point for the 53,000-seater Marvel sports stadium (some of the hotel’s rooms look right in).
Style
Sleek and understated. As long-time players in the game you’d expect the Ritz-Carlton to have perfected their formula, and they have here: the incredible 360 views bring a natural lightness to the place, enhanced by cool creams and marble finishes in the communal spaces and beyond. It’s popular with business travellers without being stuffy. And, a precious bonus: it’s an influencer-free zone.
Facilities
A truly glorious 64th floor pool that’s best visited at sunrise, when the sky is streaked with pink and yellow, and hot air balloons drift between the glass towers. The light streaming in and leafy botanical wall (there’s also a tree at the corner of the pool ) are an instant shot of calm. Ditto the spa on the same floor, offering facials, gua sha jade roller treatments, and couples’ massages. There is also a plunge pool, sauna and steam rooms, a gym and a yoga room. For those mixing business with pleasure, the Club, on the 79th floor, offers spaces in which to work or dine.
Extra Curricular
Many of Melbourne’s galleries are free, including the NVG (the city’s answer to the Tate); ditto the Royal Botanic Gardens, which are ideal for an afternoon wander.
If you’re headed to the beach, make your way through South Yarra and Prahran, the city’s ritzy neighbourhoods where boutiques, coffee shops and sleek restaurants line the main streets.
In the opposite direction there’s Brunswick and Carlton, where you can eat and drink quite literally anything you fancy (at a fraction of the price of London, too). Get your fill of pick ‘n’ mix sushi (especially the scallop aburi) from Toro, gelato from Messina, and coffee from frankly anywhere.
Food & drink
Atria, on the 80th floor, is the highest restaurant in the city — and the views are as impressive as you’d expect. During dinner service, chefs arrange picture-perfect appetisers from the ‘cold bar’ in front of the wall-to-wall windows; the food makes the most of Australia’s expansive produce, like rock oysters, mussels and mud crab, Victorian peas and Riverland citrus, and inevitably includes a fantastic range of local wines.
Breakfast is a more straightforward yet delicious affair. There’s smoked trout eggs royale and virtuous homemade granola, if you’re going for the very reasonable set breakfast option. Sit at the bar so you can stare out at the view.
They also have a cocktail lounge, Cameo, specialising in vintage liquors, from Wednesdays to Sundays, and an all-day lounge for lunch, afternoon tea, or a pre-dinner tipple.
Which room?
Don’t let the low-key luxe aesthetic fool you: the Ritz-Carlton’s largest top-floor suites are up to 2,700 square foot, with two bedrooms, two dining rooms and two living rooms on offer — along with complimentary cocktails, garment pressing, afternoon tea, snacks and dessert for every day of the stay. All of its 257 rooms (spanning floors 65-79) feature floor-to-ceiling windows, so there really is no bad view.
Best for...
Seasoned city slickers.
Details
Rooms start from £284 per night. ritzcarlton.com
