Where to stay · Melbourne, Australia
Where to stay in Melbourne
6 areas worth booking in Melbourne, sorted by the budget each one actually suits — what the neighborhood feels like, and what a night there costs.
Budget — best areas
≈ $30 / nightOn the bay, twenty minutes from the city by tram: the pier and its little penguins, Luna Park, the cake shops of Acland Street and the city's biggest cluster of hostels.
North of the CBD along Brunswick and Smith streets: bars, vintage shops, street art and gig venues. Mostly apartments and small hotels, a short tram ride in.
Budget picks to book
Mid-range — best areas
≈ $90 / nightThe grid between Flinders Street and the Queen Victoria Market: laneway cafés, rooftop bars, Chinatown and the Free Tram Zone. The most convenient base; laneway rooms run small.
South-east of the Botanic Gardens: Chapel Street's shops and bars, the Prahran Market and leafy side streets, with trains and trams into town.
Mid-range picks to book
Luxury — best areas
≈ $260 / nightAcross the Yarra from Flinders Street: the NGV and the Arts Centre, the riverside promenade and the casino towers, a walk from the Botanic Gardens.
The quiet streets round the Fitzroy Gardens, Parliament and the MCG, with the Park Hyatt and the Windsor at the edge of the grid.
Luxury picks to book
Now pick the hotel
The Melbourne guide carries the full shortlist for each tier, with why each hotel is on it.