Gay Melbourne Melbourne City Guide

Curation by Jamie McGhee, words by Ian Packham

Between the glitzy bay-side skyscrapers and the kaleidoscope of neighbourhoods brimming with street art and busy cafes, there are always a huge number of things to do in Melbourne. If there’s one thing that unites the city’s 4 million residents, it’s their love of sport and friendly antagonism with Sydney, a city that is regarded by Melbournites as lacking sophistication by comparison. Proudly liberal, this leading hipster hangout is also Australia’s undisputed culinary capital, as any Melbourne travel guide will tell you. As the home of the world’s first gay and lesbian radio station, as well as one of Australia’s earliest gay rights organisations, its lack of an official gaybourhood shouldn’t be perceived as a slight. Instead, it is part of the city’s open acceptance of different lifestyles, as the month-long LGBTQ Midsumma Festival, which has been running since 1989, testifies.

The best hotels in Melbourne

Nowhere in Melbourne says ‘home away from home’ quite as well as the elegant yet warm surrounds of the Lyall Hotel and Spa. Situated in the fashionable South Yarra neighbourhood, the Lyall’s boutique nature makes it the hotel of choice for many visiting celebrities. Each of its 40 suites is well-sized, with large living areas and well-equipped kitchenettes, should you fancy a lazy night away from the area’s long list of restaurants. On the opposite side of the Royal Botanic Gardens, you’ll find Adelphi Hotel. Encapsulating its pulsating Flinders Lane location with its bold interior décor and contemporary art collection, Adelphi’s rooms are highly stylised from floor to ceiling, with an attention to detail that never slips.

Also at the heart of Melbourne’s central business district (CBD), Treasury on Collins offers modern rooms within the neoclassical wonder of the former Bank of Australasia. Effortlessly blending the building’s nineteenth-century heritage with modern style and grace, the richly-textured communal spaces, such as the Treasured Guest Mezzanine Lounge, lead into crisply decorated, self-contained rooms. Each room features a kitchenette, washing machine, and dryer among their many amenities. Equally central, and with a sublime location on the south bank of the Yarra River, the light and airy rooms of the four-star Crown Promenade provide its guests fine views across the CBD and Port Phillip Bay from full-length windows, while facilities include an indoor swimming pool and fitness centre. A superb location puts the new-build Ibis Melbourne Central at the heart of any Melbourne sightseeing trip too. The neutral décor of its rooms and apartments provides a great space in which to relax after a busy day enjoying all the city has to offer.