Royce Hotel Melbourne
Following a two-year refurbishment The Royce is finally reopening. And boy, was it worth the wait.
Few Melbourne hotels are as perfectly placed as The Royce. Located on the cusp of the city centre and South Yarra, the newly refurbished property is a stone’s throw from the National Gallery of Victoria, Albert Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens. But its setting isn’t what makes this hotel worth travelling for.
Following a two year renovation, the much-loved property on St Kilda Road has been reimagined as a destination hotel with inviting shared spaces and an inventory of luxurious rooms that draw on the history of the heritage building to produce a glamorous boutique stay.
Designed in 1928 by renowned Art Deco architect Harry Norris and leading agent for prestige cars Kellow Falkiner, the new-look establishment, opening on 16 February, blends both influences to honour the golden age of hospitality during the ultra-opulent 1920s. This includes references to what was once Australia’s original Rolls Royce workshop – lending the hotel its name.
“We’re not a cookie cutter hotel,” says Nick McLennan, general manager at The Royce. “We’re making sure we set ourselves apart as a stand-alone hotel that is the reason for guests to travel to Melbourne. It’s a true destination hotel with the luxury of space working in its favour.”
A 24 hour concierge will greet guests in the Lobby Lounge where the signature Art Deco interior reaches new heights with a 2-metre wide chandelier, curved staircase and a 14-metre tall curved marble fireplace. Original cornicing frames the space, replete with touches of velvet in deep shades of blues and purples.
Completely refreshed by multidisciplinary design and architecture firm SJB, the “no expenses spared” project saw the hotel “stripped back to a concrete shell” and transformed into the only “true independent boutique hotel in the city.”
There are 94 guest rooms ranging from two-storey lofts to spacious suites with defined areas for living, sleeping and relaxing. Each room boasts a balcony with views of Melbourne’s CBD and upgraded bathrooms featuring freestanding tubs, chrome tapware, glass shelves and amenities from luxury bath and beauty brand Molten Brown. A double vanity sits atop a solid Italian Carrara marble bench, the same material as the large-scale floor tiles.
Back downstairs guests can move between the large reception and Showroom Bar, which doubles as the hotel’s restaurant. There, they can take a seat at the nine-metre long marble bar to sip a drink, like the Orchard Daisies cocktail made with xicaru mezcal, orchard syrup, lime & pear, and dine on a menu of sophisticated dishes, including ocean trout ceviche, butternut squash and mushroom wellington and steamed Spring Bay mussels.
Breakfast is served in The Conservatory, a bright and airy space where french doors lead out into the courtyard with heated floors and seats.
“The Royce goes back to the basics when it comes to traditional service. We know our guests and we want them to feel at home and to enjoy the public spaces, which there is an abundance of,” McLennan said.
The Royce opens 16 February. Rooms start from $380 per night.