The Lyall Hotel and Spa

Good - the hotel was very kind about our pre-booking payment when we thought we might have to cancel because of flights from the UK. We appreciated that. We prepaid to get a reduced rate and the rate was reasonable. We liked our room - with outside terrace. The location of the hotel is nice with several good restaurants and a good deli nearby. Manager was friendly the next day. Not so good - we arrived at just after 10pm from a long flight from Singapore. As you can't bring food into Australia we had no food with us and hadn't had a proper meal for a while. We had forewarned the hotel that we would be arriving late. Everywhere was shut and the hotel could not offer any food or any hot drinks - it would be easy for them to have left a prepared plate of fruit or cheese/bread. We were told to use Uber eats as local restaurants were also closed. Breakfast was busy and is a la carte. In the end we bought what we wanted to eat and kept it in the room as the menu didn't allow you just to have a yogurt for example. It would have been helpful if someone had explained about the train station into town as we spent quite a lot on taxis to get to the main areas. We struggled with the noisy air conditioning and it took a while to work out how to get the lighting right at night.

Stayed 4 nights at The Lyall and generally I am positive. The location is good and the staff are friendly and helpful. A special mention should be made to John who gave us some great recommendations. I suggest you don’t book the breakfast inclusive package. The food and coffee are good but the hotel had a very odd rule where we could only choose one item from one list and one coffee if juice selected. The way the breakfast package is administered is awkward and I think the staff were a bit embarrassed by it as well. This was at odds with the 5 star hotel experience. In our month away in Aus, it was the only hotel which had a regulated breakfast! We would definitely return but just go out for brekkie.

Excellently located in a pleasant community with close-by restaurants and shops but quieter than the CBD, the Lyall offers a high-quality, boutique hotel experience on a modest scale. Rooms, while smaller than some, have quality furnishings and fixtures and are clean and pleasant. The breakfast is excellent -- both the quality of the food and the presentation. The Melbourne CBD is easily accessible using the nearby tram, and the lovely Botanic Garden is in walking distance.

Quiet, classy, homey. Love the vibe of this modern boutique hotel. Impeccable service, comfortable with nice touches; dyson hair dryer and heated towel rails. Had a very pleasant stay. Would recommend for singles or couples.

We stayed at the boutique Lyall hotel last weekend which was the first weekend of the Australian Open so I had booked the hotel earlier in the rate to lock in a reasonable rate. A really bad mixup from the hotel who had called me early on Saturday morning as I was arriving from Hong Kong. I rang back 10 times no answer, got to the hotel and discovered the receptionist had switched the incoming calls off! Olivia was there to resolve the situation, took our bags and parked the car as valet parking is the only option at $60. The hotel is ideally located in Sth Yarr near train and tram transport and plenty of great restaurants along Torrak Rd, however there is quite a lot of noise from highly powered cars in Toorak Rd and the nearby station with trains constantly tooting their horns! Also there were a few ordinary people along Toorak Rd late at night! I would request a room on the north side of the hotel. Breakfast and drinks sitting out on the terrace was very good watching the locals go by as a lot seem to eat at the restaurant for breakfast and brunch. Our room had a small balcony and was very comfortable altough not big enough to fit 2 large suitcases so Olivia arranged to have them stored. It's a lovely hotel if only for the noise issues which aren't the fault of the hotel. Thanks again to Olivia for her excellent service for 2 very tired guests.