Melbourne has its fair share of hotels and we recently revealed our list of Melbourne’s Best Boutique Hotels to help narrow the search. So, from our shortlist we chose to test drive 5 star boutique hotel, The Royce for our recent Melbourne getaway.
Housed in a former prestige car showroom, The Royce has an unassuming façade, with just the warming glow of street lamps to guide you into the grand lobby. Greeted with an eclectic mix of designer furniture, sweeping staircase & efficient and warm service, it’s an impressive sense of arrival.
Navigating the circular atrium between the guest rooms, lobby and restaurant via the plush lounge and a labyrinth of mirrors is somewhat confusing. I'm glad I found my way, as I was rewarded with an upgrade to a Premier Suite and happily ensconced in luxury for the night. A welcome fruit platter, enormous king bed scattered with Easter eggs, Signature Royce ‘R’ Belgian Freckleberry chocolate & gift pack were the perfect gift for my late arrival.
Thanks to The Royce angels, the room was already warmly lit for my arrival and the room featured stylish, contemporary furnishings that are on the conservative side but give The Royce a sophisticated edge compared to standard chain hotels. There are 100 stylish suites in The Royce, with a wide range of room types on offer. The Premier One Bedroom Suite featured a separate lounge area with sofa, 42 inch plasma (with a second in the bedroom), ipod dock/CD player and stylish Royce signature foot stool.
The bedroom had a king size bed, re-configured to twin beds on the second night when my shopping buddy joined me for our girls' getaway. It seems so simple, but it was pleasing to see this request actioned without prompting the staff. A tempting mini bar selection including Laurent-Perrier Champagne and Blains of Yarra Valley quality snacks seals the deal for late night treats.
The impressive Italian marble bathroom has double vanity, spa bath and Sacred Life amenities plus bathrobes and slippers to pad around the suite in comfort.
Welcome drink vouchers to the downstairs amberoom encourages you to linger longer at The Royce and with a good after work crowd it's more lively than your standard hotel bar.
Located on St Kilda Road, the hotel offers Valet parking for $25 per night or there’s a tram stop out front to whisk you swiftly into the city. We hopped on a tram and headed out for the night to catch a performance during the Melbourne Comedy Festival and dinner at Papa Goose after a day of shopping. The pan fried gnocchi, smoked potato, buffalo mozzarella, thyme, black truffle sauce at Papa Goose was sensational, but really can you have a bad meal in Melbourne?
Breakfast was included in our rate, which was a standard buffet affair served in dish. We were thankful it was open on Good Friday which saved us fussing about finding a café before we set off on our road trip to Daylesford for the weekend.
The Royce is worth a test drive, take her for a spin and you’ll find it’s a smooth, luxurious ride.
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