United Places Hotel Botanic Gardens

"United Places is a luxury boutique hotel for the apartment-sharing era. The setting, on the southern edge of the Royal Botanical Gardens, is the best of two worlds: all around is the hip neighborhood of South Yarra, while straight ahead is a pastoral scene that’s unusual for the heart of this city." - Mark Fedeli

"United Places is a luxury boutique hotel for the apartment-sharing era, located on the southern edge of the Royal Botanical Gardens in the hip neighborhood of South Yarra." - Mark Fedeli

"Set the scene. An almost cubist façade amid historic red-bricks and mansions, with textured concrete walls and dangling light sculptures inside, and criss-cross velvet sofas by Patricia Urquiola. Few Melbourne addresses have a location as compelling as this 12-suite hotel—a highly personal project overlooking the Royal Botanic Gardens in chic, residential South Yarra. What’s the story? United Places was born after its founder, real-estate developer Darren Rubenstein, realized he never had the right hotel to recommend to friends and colleagues passing through Melbourne. So he created a space that had the best in design and food, as well as one that was sustainable and overlooking the city’s beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens. This is the first in what Rubenstein plans on developing into a small group of hotels. What about the rooms? Unlike many Australian hotels, which lean on old-fashioned design motifs, this riffs on the best interior-design trends from Scandinavia and New York with tactile materials such as deeply colored velvet, Italian marble, and polished hardwood. The rooms are generously sized and whisper-quiet. There are Le Labo bottles in the bathroom and organic iced teas in the mini bar. The largest suites have deep soaking tubs overlooking the treetops. An intuitive tablet takes care of most controls. How about the food and drink? Downstairs, local hot-shot chef Scott Pickett has opened Matilda 159 Domain —a restaurant based on charcoal and wood-fired cooking—to instant acclaim: The smoked spanner crab with charred flatbread and prawn butter is already being called a Melbourne classic. Guests also get exclusive, complimentary breakfast baskets with yogurt and chocolates from Pickett. Who comes here? Glam Australians with exceptional taste, as well as those visiting Melbourne for its strong arts and cultural scene. They wear McQueen, sip whisky, and likely have a string of rose-gold studs up one ear. What about the neighborhood? The hotel is about two-and-a-half miles from the CBD in South Yarra but the surrounding streets contain plenty of great independent shopping and dining. The Royal Botanic Gardens are vast, with plenty of open green space and a scenic running path. Is it worth it? This is one of the few truly luxurious small hotels in Australia and will delight those with cosmopolitan tastes." - Dan F. Stapleton

"Among Australian cities, Melbourne rules the design and foodie game. But until now it has fallen shamefully short on the hotel front and developer Darren Rubenstein knew it. When asked advice by a friend on where to stay in his hometown, he was completely uninspired. So he decided to become a hotelier and sort it out himself. The result is a gift to his friend and anyone planning to visit Melbourne. Rubenstein enlisted architect Sue Carr to create a four-story, glass-and-concrete new-build opposite Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens in the upscale suburb of South Yarra, just 10 minutes from the city center. Of the 12 smart yet understated rooms, those in moss-green tones have views of the gardens; the others, in shades of dusky pink, overlook the neighborhood. Every detail here is carefully considered and in line with the taste level expected in this style-driven city. There are expansive balconies for relaxing with a dram of Sullivans Cove whisky, distilled in Tasmania, and a Patricia Urquiola Redondo sofa to curl up on in the living area. There’s no lobby, just a discreet entrance, and the shadows of a custom-made Laura Woodward kinetic sculpture draw you towards the lift to your room. Each morning, a seasonal breakfast (yogurt with berries and dark chocolate) is delivered at a time that suits." - Dan F. Stapleton

"Among Australian cities, Melbourne rules the design and foodie game. But until now it has fallen shamefully short on the hotel front and developer Darren Rubenstein knew it. When asked advice by a friend on where to stay in his hometown, he was completely uninspired. So he decided to become a hotelier and sort it out himself. The result is a gift to his friend and anyone planning to visit Melbourne. Rubenstein enlisted architect Sue Carr to create a four-story, glass-and-concrete new-build opposite Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens in the upscale suburb of South Yarra, just 10 minutes from the city center. Of the 12 smart yet understated rooms, those in moss-green tones have views of the gardens; the others, in shades of dusky pink, overlook the neighborhood. Every detail here is carefully considered and in line with the taste level expected in this style-driven city. There are expansive balconies for relaxing with a dram of Sullivans Cove whisky, distilled in Tasmania, and a Patricia Urquiola Redondo sofa to curl up on in the living area. There’s no lobby, just a discreet entrance, and the shadows of a custom-made Laura Woodward kinetic sculpture draw you towards the lift to your room. Each morning, a seasonal breakfast (yogurt with berries and dark chocolate) is delivered at a time that suits." - CNT Editors