Hotel description

Set in a striking hundred-year-old Italianate mansion, the Hatton is an utterly up-to-date prestige hotel. Period features such as stained glass and stone archways are accented with bold colors and sleek contemporary furniture. The building has been completely renovated, the exterior painstakingly restored, and the interior, courtesy of architect Geoffrey Borrack, has been constructed from scratch to fit the existing structure. And if there's something a bit theatrical about the architectural presentation, it is the work of designer Phillip Lethlean, an Australian stage lighting veteran.

Light is handled masterfully inside the guest rooms as well, the natural light maximized and the artificial lighting strategically placed to subtle effect. Lacquered wood floors and neutral-toned walls reflect indirect sunlight, creating a spacious, airy atmosphere.

But no matter how airy and well-lit, no space within the hotel can compete with the roof terrace, with a view of the Botanic Gardens, St. Kilda Road, and the Melbourne skyline.

The Hatton is a small hotel, of only twenty rooms, and cannot provide a self-contained universe to the guests. But to hole up in an oasis-style resort hotel would be perverse, a waste of a perfectly gorgeous city, and a phenomenal neighborhood.

This is no sleepy pensioner's community - though largely residential, South Yarra is the city's most fashionable district. Toorak Road and Chapel Street feature Melbourne's finest shopping and an array of restaurants and bars. The hotel itself is an impressive one, beautifully designed, cozy, with impeccable service. But the neighborhood is an equal attraction. If you are in Melbourne on business, the Hatton is close enough to the center of it all - but if you are here for the Melbourne experience, you are going to end up visiting South Yarra anyway - so save yourself the bother, and book your hotel room here.

How to get there:

The Hatton is approximately a 35 minute drive from Melbourne Airport and a 10 minute tram ride from downtown Melbourne. Taxi rides from Melbourne Airport are approximately A$50.00 one way.