The best hotels to stay in Melbourne
You'll find us at the rooftop bar
HISTORICALLY, Melbourne has done a good job of interweaving culture, green space and architecture within their landscapes. From federation-era elegance to slick new towers, Melburnians have exhibited an innate eye for texture and taste. One particular knack they’ve cultivated is nailing that true traveller’s treat: a great hotel bar. Especially when it’s on the roof.
What follows are five standout hotels in Australia’s second-biggest capital city; a combination of recent openings, fresh iterations of classic faves and an award-winning property that everyone should visit at least once. Each sits at a slightly different point on the spectrum, from purposeful downtown shine to suburban edge, but all share a willingness to lift you above the street, to invite contemplation and experience life on a higher plane.
The Standard X
In Fitzroy, the creative and slightly off-beat cousin of the city’s central hotels sits The StandardX, Melbourne. Room categories here span from Standard King through to Suite Spot, with a total of 125 rooms. The property emphasises laid-back cool rather than stand-up luxury. In the rooms you’ll find king or twin bedding, coffee maker, smart TV and many with city or Fitzroy Garden views. The lobby area houses a cafe, bar and event spaces.
On Top is, quite literally, the rooftop bar. Reserved for guests only, it’s a hybrid space, part terrace, part open-air lounge, where soft banquettes, potted greenery and long sightlines across Fitzroy add to the relaxed, kick-back vibe.
The drinks offering mirrors the hotel’s personality: classic margaritas, Palomas, simple spritz variations and a rotation of seasonal cocktails that keep things well-paced throughout the year. More a sunset bar than a nightlife destination, but ideal for l’heure bleue.
W Melbourne
W Melbourne is a glossy, design-driven destination that carries the hotel’s signature mix of playfulness and precision. Located on Flinders Lane, the hotel’s elevated offering isn’t your traditional bar but a rooftop-level pool where you can enjoy a drink along the terrace and lounge zone wrapped around level 14, giving guests a pleasant perch above the CBD that feels more like an urban resort.
The pool – heated, indoor–outdoor – sits behind floor-to-ceiling glass panels that frame the skyline, while the terrace extends out to loungers where afternoon spritzes and quieter, elevated moments are on offer.
Food and drink orbit the rooftop’s mood. Curious, the subterranean bar, provides an intimate space to enjoy a devilishly good martini. Lollo, under the creative direction of chef Adam D’Sylva, delivers an inventive menu shaped by Melbourne’s diverse palette, with ricotta and wattleseed gnocchi, and prawn toast with XO sauce. Culprit, the breakfast and lunch venue, keeps things bright and European-leaning, while the pool bar supports the rooftop terrace with lighter snacks and drinks.
Rooms draw from Melbourne’s laneway culture: darkened palettes, mirrored surfaces, moody lighting and a generous use of texture. Entry-level Wonderful Rooms feature rainfall showers, 55-inch TVs, Mix Bar setups and views across the city grid. Spectacular Rooms elevate the vantage further, while Supreme and Urban Suites add soaking tubs and separate living areas.
Hyde Melbourne Place
For the past 12 months, Hyde Melbourne Place has been the place to stay for anyone visiting Victoria’s capital for work or play.
The hotel opened in November of 2024 and has carved its mark with an entire hospitality precinct, of which the rooftop-dining-and-drinking experience has been the beating heart.
Located on the 12th floor, it was previously home to the venue Mid Air. This has since closed and given way to the Mediterranean-inspired concept Cleo, which opened in mid-December. The new rooftop design pledges brick cut-out “twin eye” windows, communal long tables, warm tones and generous spaces, one to watch as it comes online.
Hyde Melbourne Place offers 191 rooms, including a mélange of studio, one-bedroom suites and the 14th-floor penthouse (for those seeking maximum scale). Each room features high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, textured materials, abundant natural light and tech-forward amenities (Nespresso machine, WiFi, luxurious bathroom). Facilities include a full gym with Pilates reformer bed and free weights.
QT Melbourne
Formerly a heritage cinema, the QT Melbourne has been reincarnated as a five-star hotel, and it lays out its rooftop offering with confidence. Take the lift to level 11 and you arrive at the venue dubbed Rooftop at QT, an indoor-outdoor domain perched well above the CBD, offering wide-view corridors across the skyline.
Defining features include a rooftop space equipped with a retractable ceiling for all-weather flexibility. The gastronomic offering has been retooled under executive chef Nic Wood, with Mediterranean-inspired share plates such as snapper cannoli and lobster cocktails. As for the bar side, the cocktail list is equally solid. Think rye whiskey, Mr Black coffee liqueur and orange/miso syrup for a riff on classics.
Rooms at QT Melbourne convey the same playfulness. You’ll find vivid details like graffiti-tag rugs by local artist James Beattie and an embrace of Melbourne street culture. Standard King and King View rooms provide views either inward toward the laneways or out toward the skyline, with smart-TV systems, minibars and Room Service by QT as options. Facilities include a gym and spa treatments.
But the true jewel is in the crown: the Rooftop is both literal and symbolic. It’s a truly wonderful way to experience Melbourne’s city laid out beneath you, as the colours of dusk accentuate the bar’s copper- and bronze-toned interiors. The indoor-outdoor transitional space offers elevated moments, whether for lunch, sundown drinks or late-night DJ sets. The cinema may be gone, but the theatrics remain.
The Lyall Hotel
It may not fit the rooftop theme per se, but The Lyall, located in the heart of South Yarra, remains a slice of Paris in Melbourne that is a must-include. A semi-off-beat retreat, the hotel occupies a discreet building with only 51 bespoke rooms and suites, allowing for a pared-down luxury experience just outside of the city’s grind.
Each room is designed with conscious consideration of texture and material: Parisian-style balcony rooms, oversized Signature rooms overlooking a Japanese Maple garden, bespoke Tasmanian Oak furniture with gold accents and marble bathrooms featuring deep soaking tubs.
In terms of accolades, The Lyall has garnered several industry awards for its boutique credentials. At the 2025 edition of the World Luxury Hotel Awards, the space was recognised with several honours, including titles in the categories of Luxury Boutique Hotel and Luxury Design Hotel.
One of the hotel’s defining hospitality touchpoints is The Bistro, situated off the lobby. Here you’ll find breakfast served until 2pm and a short lunch list from 11am to 2pm, followed by a snack and drink service in the late afternoon. The space opens out to a garden-side setting, offering al fresco seating when the weather allows and a calm environment for guests and locals.
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