SD › Melbourne › Best Hotels › Lyall Hotel and Spa Review
Updated: January 5, 2022
Essentials
• Location: Murphy Street, a block west of South Yarra Station.
• Hotel website: thelyall.com
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)3 9868 8222
• Check prices for Lyall Hotel and Spa
The boutique all-suite Lyall features luxurious accommodations with beautiful bathrooms and full kitchens and an incredible 3-level full-service spa in a quiet residential neighborhood.
Lyall Hotel and Spa – Adorable boutique hotel in a leafy inner suburb close to the city center.
Melbourne’s only privately-owned and operated five-star hotel is very intimate and cozy and so much more appealing than most high-rise rivals downtown. It oozes rare charm and elegance – from the walls with commissioned art on each level to the quaint bar/bistro with a street-side terrace. It only offers suites, all with full-sized kitchens, and some also feature two bedrooms and jacuzzis. Adding to the immeasurable appeal are the guest lounge with open fire, free rental of DVDs and bicycles, and a world-class, multi-level spa. Along a quiet suburban street in a fashionable neighborhood bursting with bistros and boutiques, it’s only a few minutes on foot to trains and trams for the city center.
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Lyall Hotel and Spa – The Location
- Area: Along a quiet, leafy residential street about 100m from the main thoroughfare, Toorak Road, which is packed with fashionable places to eat, drink, and shop.
- Address: 16 Murphy Street, South Yarra, an inner-city suburb. About 4 km from the city center.
- Nearest Transport: Bus – Toorak Rd/Punt Rd (500m), Tram – Myrtle St (150m), Metro – South Yarra Station (300m).
- How to Get There: Taxis to/from the airport (27 km) cost at least A$80. The handy SkyBus that links the airport to many parts of inner Melbourne does not stop in this area. For about A$30, Starbus shuttles (5 am-10 pm daily) pick up and drop off passengers at South Yarra. Contact them to see if they will go directly to the hotel door.
Lyall Hotel and Spa – The Basics
- Guests: Interesting mix of business people and couples on romantic getaways.
- Pets: Not permitted.
- Views: As a small, old-style boutique hotel along a suburban street, views are not a drawcard. Suites facing the front overlook a quiet road, while most directly face a nearby building; all suites are quiet.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzi: Jacuzzis in some suites.
- Extras: Selection of DVDs for use in the rooms. Free bicycle rentals.
- Parking: Parking available for a reasonable cost. Also, free along the street outside, but not necessarily secure or guaranteed.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +61 (0)3 9868 8222
- Email: reservations@thelyall.com
- Website: thelyall.com
Lyall Hotel and Spa – Amenities
- Pool: Not expected (or provided) at a suburban boutique hotel like this.
- Spa: The Lyall Spa is truly exquisite. Spread across 3 levels, it offers an incredible array of beauty treatments and physical therapies as well as special massages. The staff is highly trained.
- Fitness Center: Pleasingly well-equipped for a smallish hotel. Open 24/7.
- For Families: Baby-sitting.
- Other Facilities: Same-day laundry and dry-cleaning. Bicycle rental. DVD rental. Business services. Pantry shopping (i.e. the staff does the grocery shopping).
Lyall Hotel and Spa – Food and Drink
- Restaurant & Bar: On the ground floor, the quaint Bistro Lyall offers breakfast (for an extra charge) and modern cuisine with unique touches for lunch and dinner. Only a few tables inside and several more along the terrace. Attached is the Lyall Champagne Bar. A wide selection of drinks can also be enjoyed by the fireplace in the guest lounge.
- Breakfast: Not included but can be paid for when booking or on the day.
- Room Service: 24 hours.
Lyall Hotel and Spa – Rooms
- Room Types: Deluxe Suites (1 or 2 bedrooms) • Super Deluxe Suites (1 bedroom – some with a jacuzzi – or 2 bedrooms) • Grand Suites (1 or 2 bedrooms) • Platinum Suites (1 or 2 bedrooms) • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: Smoking is permitted on the balconies but not in the rooms or public areas.
- Best Room: The adorable Platinum Suites are in the corners on the top floor, each with 1 or 2 bedrooms, a fireplace, separate living/dining/kitchen area, and an impressive outdoor terrace.
- For Families: Some suites feature 2 bedrooms and an extra single bed can fit into the 1-bedroom suites. Sometimes, an outer door can be used to separate a 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom suite from the rest of the corridor, thereby providing privacy for a larger family or group.
Lyall Hotel and Spa – Local Transport
- Walking & Cycling: The suburban streets are nice enough for strolling but the main thoroughfare, Toorak Road, is always busy. The hotel offers free bike rentals but the nearby roads are not great for cycling.
- Public Transport: Along Toorak Road, a stop for tram #58 is just 2 minutes (150m) from the hotel. It heads into the city center and beyond every few minutes. Close by, east of the hotel is the South Yarra train station (300m). Trams are better for going to the city center, while trains head to Brighton Beach.
- Taxis & Ride-shares: Ask reception to arrange a taxi. Uber and Ola operate all over Melbourne.
Lyall Hotel and Spa – What’s Nearby?
Best Nearby Restaurants
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So many casual eateries and chic bistros along Toorak Road, which is only 100m from the hotel. Most offer a few tables along the sidewalk.
- Cucinetta – Cozy corner position on Murphy Street. Fab service and authentic Italian cuisine, but only a handful of tables. (50m).
- Ecco Gusto Italiano – Decades-old family-run bistro serving delicious home-style cooking. Turn right at the corner. (150m).
- Da Noi – Long-established favorite for Italian cuisine using their own organically-grown ingredients. Intimate setting and classy service. Next to Ecco’s. (150m)
- La Porchetta South Yarra – Popular pizza chain, also serving pasta and other tempting Italian dishes. Plenty of daily specials. Next to Da Noi. (150m).
- Ned’s Bake Café and Restaurant – Lovely bistro, popular for coffee, croissants, and conversation. Turn left at the corner. (150m).
Nearby Bars
All restaurants listed above, and most others in the neighborhood, serve alcohol. The nearest pub is Arcadia Hotel. One of Melbourne’s oldest, it’s also famous for its live music and rooftop garden. (400m).
Nearby Shops
Only 100m from the hotel, Toorak Road is jam-packed with classy boutiques – no malls or department stores, but plenty of places to splash some cash. Ask reception for a list of local shops that offer an exclusive 10% discount to guests. A well-stocked supermarket, IGA South Yarra Express (also sells alcohol) is on the corner of Murphy Street and Toorak Road (100m).
Lyall Hotel and Spa – The Hotel
The Lyall Hotel and Spa is a delightful boutique hotel along a quiet street within the inner-city suburb of South Yarra.
The hotel blends in nicely with the houses and apartments in this fashionable suburb.
Just around the corner from the reception desk, the guest lounge with its open fire is immediately welcoming.
The Lyall offers a level of charm and elegance rarely found in high-rise hotels in the city center.
The Bistro Lyall offers refined cuisine in a cozy setting on the ground floor.
When the weather permits, guests at Bistro Lyall can eat at tables along the terrace facing the street.
Attached to the bistro is the Lyall Champagne Bar.
At the back of the hotel is the multi-level Lyall Spa, which is truly impressive.
The range of treatments, therapies, and products at the Lyall Spa is outstanding.
Although it’s a suburban boutique hotel, the fitness center is well-equipped.
The Lyall only offers suites. Each features a substantial and separate living/dining/kitchen area.
The bathroom in every suite is beautiful as well.
The suites are much more spacious than those offered by most hotels in the overbuilt city center.
Many suites feature small balconies but the design of the building and its location along a suburban street preclude any worthwhile views.
Even in the lowest-category suites, the living area is substantial.
All suites feature top-class kitchens – fully-equipped, with extras like coffee machines.
This suburban 5-star boutique hotel is a worthy alternative to the less personable high-rise hotels in the city center.
Some Super Deluxe Suites feature jacuzzis.
The Lyall is along a leafy suburban street in a pleasant inner-city neighborhood.
This supermarket (open 24/7) is on the corner of Toorak Road and the street on which the hotel is located.
Just steps from the hotel and along the same street is the cozy Cucinetta Italian bistro.
Close to the hotel is Toorak Road. It is packed with cafés, many with tables along the sidewalk.
Ecco Gusto Italiano is an adorable family-run restaurant along Toorak Road.
Da Noi may sound Vietnamese, but this is another quaint café serving authentic Italian food.
La Porchetta is part of a well-known state-wide chain selling pizzas and other Italian food.
Ned’s is a popular café and bakery on a corner just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
Toorak Road is full of classy boutiques and useful amenities.
Why not do what the locals do and wander up and down Toorak Road to find the finest places to eat, drink, and shop?
Trams travel every few minutes along Toorak Road to the city center and beyond.
The train station is close to the hotel, with direct services to the city center and Brighton Beach. Check rates and availability: Lyall Hotel and Spa
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