Parliament / East Melbourne

Park Hyatt Melbourne

★★★★★

Park Hyatt Melbourne is the city's most serene luxury hotel, set on Parliament Square at the eastern edge of the city centre, where the grid gives way to parks, grand churches and the government precinct. It overlooks the Gothic Revival spires of St Patrick's Cathedral and sits a two-minute walk from the Fitzroy Gardens, the lovely Victorian park that leads on to the MCG and the sporting precinct. That setting gives the hotel a peaceful, almost residential atmosphere that is a world away from the busier blocks to the west, while the theatres, the Paris End of Collins Street and the laneways remain an easy walk. The hotel is known for spacious rooms and suites, generous marble bathrooms with deep tubs, and a refined, understated style. It has a full-service spa and fitness centre with an indoor pool, a restaurant and bar, and the kind of discreet, polished service that attracts long-staying business travellers, visiting performers and couples marking special occasions. It is particularly well placed for sport: the MCG is a pleasant walk through the Fitzroy Gardens, and Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open, is just beyond it, which makes the Park Hyatt a favourite base during the January tennis and on big football weekends. Parliament Station is close by for trains, and trams along Spring Street and Collins Street connect to the rest of the centre, inside the Free Tram Zone. Choose it if you value space, quiet and a sense of calm after a busy day of sightseeing.

The surroundings are among the most attractive in the city. The Fitzroy Gardens, laid out in the nineteenth century, have avenues of elms, a conservatory, a fairy tree and Cooks' Cottage, a small house moved from England in the 1930s. Beyond them, the Treasury Gardens and the State Parliament building complete a green, historic precinct that is lovely for an early-morning walk or run. The MCG lies just beyond, so a match day can begin with a stroll through the gardens from the hotel door.

Inside, the hotel feels spacious and serene. Rooms are among the larger in the city, with separate living areas in the suites and bathrooms designed for long soaks. The spa is a genuine retreat, with treatments and a pool for guests, and the fitness centre is well equipped. The restaurant and bar are elegant spaces for a quiet dinner or a nightcap, though most guests will want to explore the restaurants of the East End and Flinders Lane, all within walking distance.

Who should book? Couples on a special trip, travellers who prize space and quiet, sports fans attending the Australian Open, the AFL or the cricket, and business visitors to the government precinct. Rates are at the top of the market and rise sharply during the tennis and other major events, so book early. Travellers who want to be in the middle of the laneway buzz may prefer a hotel closer to Flinders Lane, but for many visitors the Park Hyatt's calm is exactly the point.