Rebecca C.
Yelp
There really are no words to do this place justice. Imagine if the most pristine and professionally shot photographs you've ever seen posted for a hotel online actually fell BELOW what the reality was - that's the Rialto. After staying in some cheap dumps to indulge my partner's budget-consciousness, I booked this one myself and I don't regret the bottom line for a minute.
Everything was nearly perfect. The room was a good size, the bed was like floating on a huge dream, the bathroom was large and fastidiously clean. Service was amazing and the television even greeted me with my name programmed in upon arrival. The heated indoor pool on the top level looks out over the city - nowhere else have I so enjoyed swimming during the winter. The hot rocks sauna next door is not to be missed. There's a gym with top-notch equipment as well, but that went unused in our relaxation.
I'm not a breakfast person, but the free included buffet is SPECTACULAR. A great use of the courtyard, for one thing, and the sheer scope of fruit juice selection alone will blow your mind. Even with labels, I had never seen most of it before, and certainly not in breakfast buffets - guava nectar, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice, apple juice, cranberry, white grape, and I'm sure I forgot some. Bread, muffins, pastries and cakes galore...although the DIY toaster line invites firestarter troublemakers...Cereal of every variety, milk, yogurt, muesli, and more fruit than even the juice options - figs, blackberries, blueberries, and again, things I can't even name because I simply don't recognize them.
The staff are composed of a worldly group who seemingly all spoke at least three languages. I like feeling inferior to the concierge. Seriously. However, they were almost too eager to be helpful; i think if I had walked any slower out the door a few times they would have helped me put on my raincoat (maybe verging on intrusive and/or obsequious).
Some small criticisms, since I can't help myself - the bathroom door doesn't go all the way to the floor, allowing a considerable amount of noise to transfer back and forth to the room outside. There was no bathtub, although online when we booked it said there was (I think). Our room looked out over the interior of the courtyard instead of outside anywhere, although this view was pretty spectacular in itself because you feel like you're inside an architectural renovation of magnificent proportions - the hotel consists of two buildings joined together with giant domed glass above and all around the former road that intersected them, which results in a magical fantasy vibe like wonderland, a looking glass, or maybe just a great glass elevator.
I really felt like I didn't have to leave the hotel to enjoy my trip to Melbourne while staying at this magnificent hotel. When I occasionally did leave the building, the location is convenient to walk to shops and many if not most of the major tourist destinations like Flinders Station, the GPO, Chinatown, the Block Arcade and other area shopping, and if you're wearing sensible shoes, even the casino across the bridge is relatively nearby. If you don't feel like walking, no worries, because the hotel has its own cab rank formed outside every minute of every day. Just one word of advice - don't tell them you're going to the casino BEFORE you get into the cab, because they may wave you off (it's too short to earn them a good fare, but they can't refuse you once you're inside the vehicle).