The Hatton

An historic Italianate mansion, now a fun and quirky hotel, well located between fabulous South Yarra and the City

Melbourne has shrugged off the straight-laced attitudes of its founders to develop into a fun, vibrant, creative city. And the Hatton has followed suit, morphing from a quaint boarding house into an utterly contemporary boutique hotel. Original 1902 features survive – Italianate arches, stained glass, high cornices – but the overall feel is of a place with its finger firmly on the urban pulse. Interiors were cleverly redesigned and lit by architect Geoffrey Borrack to create quirky spaces, where fashionably muted hues and wacky abstract art sit alongside century-old fireplaces and lacquered wood floors. And above the 18 bedrooms you’ll find a funky new roof terrace with fab views over the CBD skyline.

Handwritten blackboards advise what’s hip and happening in Melbourne; amiable staff will whip up a perfect flat white (that’s a coffee) or direct you to Botanical (which is a trendy restaurant as well as a garden). Poised between the city and chi-chi South Yarra, you're in the perfect position for business, shopping, dining or just soaking up the city.

Highs

• Huge airy rooms with tall, old-fashioned windows that actually open (there's also air-con if you prefer)
• The huge 'Eastern Balcony Suite', with its Asian antiques and exclusive access to the first-floor loggia
• A friendly reception area with stacks of magazines and a laptop for guests
• The fantastic roof terrace - a very sociable place for all ages and nationalities
• The location in a quiet residential street, not too far from the nightlife
• Tram #8 stops outside the front door, and the Royal Botanic Gardens are 100m away

Lows

• Reception is not 24 hours but someone is always available if you ring the bell
• No lunch or evening meals, but there are plenty of great local restaurants and cafes
• There's no lift, so be prepared to lug your bags up or down one flight of stairs
• Standard rooms are on the small side, and half the rooms are in a less characterful wing