The Lyall Hotel

Loved our stay at the Lyall. The staff were all truly so lovely and kind. We really enjoyed chatting with all of them and they went above and beyond with service. The rooms were beautiful, and I’ll be dreaming about their beds. They were sooo comfortable with the nicest sheets. Gorgeous outlook from the room with lots of calming greenery from trees. Lux bathroom and shower too. Perfect location, so much to do and beautiful walks to go on. Can’t wait to come back.

Wonderful property! Our party of 5 spent a total of 4 nights at the Lyall and everyone absolutely loved it. I was a little nervous about picking this hotel based on the location but the location ended up being a huge plus. We loved South Yarra and it was incredibly easy getting to and from the CBD by train. The rooms are top quality as are each and every staff member we encountered. Breakfast was also a highlight and we truly looked forward to returning to the hotel every afternoon after spending full days exploring Melbourne. This hotel is a gem and also a wonderful value considering the quality and conditions of the room. Will absolutely be returning to Melbourne and staying at The Lyall.

Found the bedrooms a bit small to be five star. Normally luxury hotels have slightly bigger rooms. But the beds are simply amazing. Most comfortable hotel beds I have slept in … for a long time. Remind me of the same experience at four seasons. But what I truly love about this place is the location. A short walk out of Murphy street you have Toorak where there are a lot of nice restaurants and cafes. So you never really get hungry here. A short walk down Toorak and u can turn into Chapel for more interesting shops. A walk up Toorak will land you near Melbourne Botanic Gardens which is one of the most beautiful and relaxing places for your morning walks!

Unfortunately I won't be able to leave a review about my time here, thanks to the 'technicalities' of maximum occupancy. When locking in three nights to stay at the Lyall Hotel, I was over the moon. I had finally found what seems to be a beautiful hotel to stay the night before and night of my wedding. This included the day of - where I planned to have my bridal party (consisting of three women, aged 18, 15 and 32) along with my mother and future mother in law, to prepare for my big day together. Locking in the second largest suite, at 86sqm, I believed for it to be a perfect size for my soon to be husband to spend the night but also for a small group to be together for a couple of hours before I get married. However - despite being upfront and honest with the Hotel staff, I have been declined any chance of having more than the maximum occupancy, which is sleeping 2, permitted in the hotel room at any given time. Now, I can understand during the night to avoid wild parties and unwanted guests. However, when I approach you with 100% honesty and you repeat the same generic line with no option of a minor exemption for allowing me to have my small bridal party with me to get ready for a room costing over $3,000 for three nights - well guess you've just lost my business. For anyone looking to stay here ahead of an event, for your wedding or anything in between. Know that there is no room for any empathy or emotion for your special occasion. I feel even more stupid, because before I was advised that this was not permitted my fiance and I had even convinced ourselves to treat ourselves to the largest suite, at over $4,000 and 100msq in size. But what's the point?

I so wanted to love this hotel (beautiful, wonderful location, boutique) but I was, unfortunately, extremely disappointed. I booked the Domain Suite (the largest suite) for my wedding day about 1 year ahead of my wedding. The suite is huge and I was excited to use it as a space to get ready with my mother, bridesmaids and hair and makeup artists. Only 1 week before my wedding day, I was told that the hotel’s policy is that only 2 people can be in a room at any one time, at any time of day. “Building code” was cited as the reason (I seriously doubt that there is a building code with this restriction…). In any event, this policy is not on the hotel’s website (from what I could see), and was not communicated to me in good time before my wedding day. In the circumstances, and to address my frustration and concern, the hotel offered to increase the limit to 4 people and give me another room at the hotel for the day so that the bridal party could spread out. Although this was far from ideal (it defeated the real objective, which was to get ready together), I agreed. However, on the morning of my wedding, the hotel staff “had no record of this arrangement”, and informed us that the room limit was 2 people. We spent significant time over the course of the morning of my wedding negotiating with the hotel staff in an effort to relay the previous arrangement. Eventually, the staff accepted that this offer had previously been made. Suffice to say, this was extremely stressful to deal with on the morning of my wedding and it was unprofessional for hotel management to fail to communicate the arrangement to staff who were on shift on the day. To make matters worse, during my stay, 2 additional, unauthorised amounts were charged to my credit card: one unauthorised charge was $2,800!! I called immediately following each charge to ask what was going on. The response was that these were likely mistakes and would be investigated. Both charges were ultimately reversed but this was, again, highly unprofessional and, frankly, unacceptable for a 5 star hotel. This hotel has so much potential but, unfortunately, has serious shortcomings. I certainly would not recommend it for weddings.

My sister and I are delighted with our 11-night stay at the Lyall. Not only are the rooms comfortable but the lounge is so inviting that each time we returned, we automatically draped ourselves on one of the lounge seats. It's such a luxury to be able to order drinks or complimentary water until 9pm to be served at the lounge. We specially picked the Lyall for its scenic and convenient location in South Yarra. Train station and tram stop is a short walk away and helpful reception staff are available to call a cab or uber. The hotel's proximity to shops, eateries and the Prahran Market is second to none. We will not hesitate t check into the Lyall on our next visit to Melbourne.

Despite the rather small twin bedded room we got, my sister and I enjoyed our 11-night stay. Suggestions for improvement is heavier duty bed and adding a bidet. The single beds moved easily when sitting at the edge of the foot of the bed which is disconcerting. Addition of a bidet fitting to the toilet seat would improve comfort and reduce toilet paper usage. We love the homey atmosphere of the hotel with their inviting lounge...simply does not feel like a hotel at all but a holiday home. The staff are all friendly, helpful and enthusiastic which contributed to the feel good vibe of the hotel. The Lyall's location is ideal; you are enveloped in the leafy suburb of South Yarra and yet so close to shops, restaurants, Prahran Market, South Yarra train station and tram stop. The hotel has a restaurant cafe for residents and serves breakfast, lunch and drinks until 9pm. Residents can ask to be served water. We will return to The Lyall on our next visit to Melbourne.

Love this hotel. We have been coming here for years on our trips from UK. Two years ago it was unfortunately closed so we stayed at the sister hotel The Royce, lovely but not the same atmosphere and we didn’t enjoy the location so much. The renovations have been great and we still love the intimacy of this very stylish hotel. The location is brilliant, so good to be among the locals in the many good cafes and restaurants close by. Very friendly, attentive staff. The breakfast is delicious as were the charcuterie and cheese plates we had in the evening of arrival after a long flight from UK. Hopefully we will be back again.

Location , location, location! This is what the hotel offers. Champagne bar is nothing special - anything smaller than a full bottle comes from opening a piccolo bottle. The choices are nothing special. Yes, the front desk and bar are cosy and intimate, and oh so friendly. While I loved the attention, it seemed a little contrived and I was happier to stay inside my room and enjoy the space and amenities inside my room. It will be my first consideration for any other stays I need to look for in Melbourne in the future.

We were so excited about this place as it was the cap to our three week trip to New Zealand and Australia. Arriving early for our reservation, we were quickly greeted by a friendly porter who grabbed our luggage and happily agreed to hold our bags for us while we waited for the room to be cleaned. When we finally checked in, the room was dated and dirty. The bed should have been replaced years ago. The sofa was dirty, as were the walls and carpet. What's worse is that I called the front desk immediately to ask for another room and was informed that none were available. At check-in, I was charged for one nights stay -$250 US. So, upon our quick exit from the hotel, I inquired about the night I was charged and was told I'd see a refund on my Visa card within 3 days. It's been almost two weeks and no refund! We ended up staying at the The Olsen (very close to the Lyall) and it was lovely and the bed was dreamy. The Lyall was obviously loved when it was new but now neglected by the owner.

I would not recommend this hotel. It is worn, the wi-fi works intermittently at best and there is construction going on next door starting at 7:30 AM sharp.

Our family had an absolutely delightful stay at the Lyall over the New Year's holiday. We debated whether to stay in downtown Melbourne or at the Lyall in South Yarra, and I am so glad that we decided to stay at the Lyall. The hotel is located in the heart of vibrant South Yarra, which is bustling with incredible restaurants, cafes and shops. The service was top notch and always so friendly and courteous. Beyond a doubt, the service was at the level we have received staying at Four Seasons, Ritz Carltons and Fairmonts around the world, though with an even more personal touch. The accommodations were excellent and we luxuriated in the space of our two-bedroom suite. We also loved the inviting common areas of this boutique hotel, which made us feel more like we were guests in a well-appointed home than in a hotel. We explored both in and around Melbourne as well as in greater Victoria, and the hotel was the perfect launching point for all our adventures. We were able to easily explore the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the hotel on foot as well as by borrowing bikes from the hotel. We secured a rental car nearby and took several day trips within an hour or two of the hotel to some of the most stunning beaches and view points we have ever visited anywhere in the world (including traveling down Great Ocean Road). My husband and I agreed that this was one of our favorite vacations we have taken in 20 years! Many thanks to the staff at The Lyall!