The Melbourne hotel back in business after a four-year absence
Once the preferred stay for fashion and entertainment types, The Lyall has emerged from hibernation. How does it shape up?
When it opened in the heart of establishment Melbourne in 2002, The Lyall hotel quickly won a loyal following charmed by the warmth of its service and rooms and the indulgence of its day spa and champagne bar. It offered the best of both worlds; a portal to the shopping and social life of swank South Yarra but a mere tram or cab ride away from major events and Melbourne’s dynamic CBD. It became the preferred stay of fashion and entertainment types and an overflow inn for family gatherings in the leafy inner east (famously serving Christmas-morning champagne as guests rallied for lunch with the relatives).
The pandemic shutdowns of 2020 gave The Lyall’s founders, Peter and Rowina Thomas, the chance to renovate. Reopening was planned for spring 2022, its 20th anniversary. But then, unexpectedly, it changed hands. And it’s only now, four years on, that this stylish small hotel has reopened for business.
From plane tree-lined Murphy St, little seems changed. The faintly neoclassical facade with its Juliet balconies and terraces is as handsome as ever and the streetfront bistro endures. Inside, however, The Lyall has a bold new look and feel. It has been outfitted in a uniform of greys and beiges with touches of marble and parquetry in the bistro, lobby and top suites that lend an air of subtle luxury. One of the few concessions to colour is the palest-of-blue leather seats on the bistro’s Bentwood chairs. (“The guests bring the colour,” business development manager Rui Martins assures me.)
In the vanilla-perfumed lobby, the greeting by navy-suited staff is bright and friendly with minimal formalities before Valencia-born Esther whisks me up to the second floor (of four) to my deluxe suite. As we step inside and she catches sight of the bathroom, with its standalone tub eyeing autumn leaves, she sighs, “My favourite!”
The 40sq m suite also includes a separate loo, walk-in closet and a spacious bedroom/living area with petite balcony. Relaxation options include a king bed dressed in crisp white manchester with cloud-top mattress and crushed-velvet bedhead, and a quilted velour chaise for leisurely reading and impromptu afternoon naps.
There’s a serviceable work desk, if you must, and a wet bar equipped with coffee-pod machine, Tea Drop teas, half-bottles of wine, beers and soft drinks. Most in-room snacks – chocolate bars, freckles, choc-covered fruits and nuts – are supplied by Melbourne’s own Koko Black.
The decor and amenities are common to all 51 hotel rooms, half of which look onto the interior courtyard styled as a Japanese maple garden. Rooms range from 32sq m “classic” to two ground-floor “grand suites” named Maple and Domain, each 52sq m with marble bathrooms, parquetry floors and circular baths. There is also a 104sq m penthouse with two fireplaces and an expansive terrace. It’s currently occupied by the Lyall’s owner, Mazen Tabet, so is not available to book.
Tabet also owns The Royce, a ritzier, livelier boutique hotel on St Kilda Rd. Esther worked there previously and she sums up the difference between the two properties succinctly. “The Royce is more extravagant, with a big restaurant and a big bar,” she says. “Here is more chilled, more relaxed. We want this to be like your home.” Or, as the slickly produced matte booklet in rooms says, “A hotel that doesn’t feel like a hotel”. Which is accurate. Staying here feels more like having a smart city pad at your beck and call.
Also unlike a hotel is the notable lack of art in rooms and on the walls in public areas. I’m told the owner is not a fan of paintings, although he does have some leaping hare bronzes by David Bromley in the lounge and various objets arranged throughout. There is no pool or gym on site (staff can recommend plenty of nearby options) and the spa has made way for more rooms.
For the time being, the bistro is serving only breakfast, offering gourmet options such as almond and vanilla granola with poached pears, and harissa chilli scrambled eggs with mushrooms, feta and dukkha. Dinners are scheduled to start in spring. The staggered reopening is intentional. The Lyall reopened mid-March but turned away requests from Formula One guests and major Australian entertainers while it settled in.
“We don’t want to rush anything,” Martins explains. “Imagine having a top celebrity in house wanting to have dinner and we are not serving it yet. We are very conscious of our reputation. We want to make the most out of the soft-opening mode, gathering a lot of feedback from people.”
My feedback would be: the staff are great; a multicultural bunch (Spanish, Belgian, Portuguese) who could bring sunshine to the greyest Melbourne day. A bit of colour around the place, even some floral arrangements or indoor plants, would help match the warmth of the welcome. “Residential” is one thing but homely is so much nicer.
Staff are still working on the Lyall’s concierge list of local recommendations but mine would include shopping at Marimekko, Aesop and Dinosaur Designs. There are dozens of dining options, covering every cuisine, within easy walking distance, including a terrific trattoria across the road (Cucinetta) and Melbourne’s most authentic French bistro around the corner (France-Soir). There’s also soulful Sardinian at Da Noi, and spicy Chinese will be available at Dainty Sichuan later this year when it reopens after renovations.
Take a walk to the wonderful Royal Botanic Gardens for a natural high, or hop on a No. 8 tram for a cultural day out at the NGV, which has a Winter Masterpieces program featuring an epic Egyptian exhibition in partnership with the British Museum (June 14-October 6).
Now with two of Melbourne’s sharpest boutique hotels to his name, Tabet is on the lookout for a third, according to Martins. “Involving the words Melbourne, CBD, Paris end,” he says, declining to elaborate further.
In the know
The Lyall is at 16 Murphy St, South Yarra; rooms from $295 a night.
Kendall Hill was a guest of The Lyall.
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