Review: Lyall Hotel Melbourne, Australia

The Lyall is rather like a stately home away from home. Tucked down a leafy street in the upmarket suburb of South Yarra, the white walls and wrought iron railings of the Lyall Hotel make it look just like a home I would like to own. (A girl can dream right?)

This homely hotel comes with some of the most attentive and warm staff I’ve ever encountered. Ready to take your bags or serve a warm pot of tea before you have even asked, it is the staff who really make this place for me. That and the breakfasts served by a roaring fire (more of which later.)

Our deluxe one bedroom suite was a very well thought out living space. The kitchen came with a washing machine and ironing board which extended from a drawer. The fridge was stocked with cold drinks and my other half made use of the coffee machine daily. The living area, with its comfy corner sofa, was where I chose to film this week’s video diary. It looked over a small balcony, which I can imagine would be a beautiful spot to have breakfast in the summer.

And we’re back to the breakfasts again. Our room came with the ‘full breakfast’ which meant you could order anything you wished from the 2 page menu. As breakfast is served until 1pm it was never too late in the day for us to wander down to the white table-clothed dining areas – each time making a beeline for the fire-lit library area. The breakfast menu included eggs benedict, boiled egg and soldiers, French toast, fresh granola and warm homemade muffins, among many other seriously tempting options. You can also order breakfast to be bought to the room free of charge but we preferred the warmth of the staff and fire in the lobby.

Back in the room the bedroom was compact but the spacious bathroom came with both a powerful shower and deep bathtub. The Lyall toiletries, fragranced with ylang ylang and mandarin, smelt divine and I appreciated having a decent hairdryer too.

The hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi throughout but the connection is stronger in some areas. There was a Wi-Fi booster in our room to help with this but sadly we couldn’t get it to work during our stay (it was a great excuse to work from the bar instead!)

I didn’t have time to visit the spa during my stay but noticed it has a full menu of massages and treatments and there seemed to be regular flow of relaxed-looking customers leaving it. There is also a gym on the 2^nd floor which is open 24 hours a day.

The location of the Lyall is particularly tempting for shoppers. The hotel is surrounded by luxury boutiques and salons and as a guest of the Lyall you are offered an exclusive Shopping Privilege Card which entitles you to 10% off in many of the local businesses.

To get into the city you can hop on a train at the nearby South Yarra station. Depending on which way the trains are taking the city loop you can be in Flinders Street in less than 10 minutes (you have to buy a Myki card at the station as they are required for all public transport.) The train ride into the city was a delight rather than a chore. The tracks are lined by graffiti-covered walls which make you feel like you are in a moving street art gallery. As the train crosses the Yarra River and heads closer to the city, Melbourne’s skyline is reflected in the high rise buildings. If you don’t want to head into the city of an evening then nearby Chapel Street certainly has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants and bars.

When we told friends from Melbourne that we were staying at the Lyall Hotel they said, “We love it there.” I can see why. Every member of staff is a credit to the hotel; all chatty, attentive, readily offering cups of tea. We loved it there too.

My stay was hosted by the Lyall Hotel in association with Visit Melbourne. All opinions are my own.

The first image  is by Visit Melbourne. The rest are mine.