The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne

The rooms are genuinely among the best in Australia — spacious by any standard, with separate walk-in dressing rooms, separate water closets, deep marble bathtubs, rain showers, and Diptyque amenities in proper full-size dispensers. Dyson hair dryers, automated blackout blinds, thoughtful lighting, and comfortable (if occasionally too-soft) beds complete the package. The views — from floors 64 through 79 — are the real luxury, particularly on the harbor and bay sides. Weaknesses are minor but real: the lighting design in the makeup area is under-powered, the confusing array of switches and the "privacy/make-up-room" button has caused genuine guest-service incidents, and a few maintenance issues (air conditioning, water pressure, bathroom odors) appear more often than one would expect in a property this new.

The architectural drama is undeniable. The ground-floor arrival is deliberately understated — you enter through a tucked-away corporate lobby and express-lift to the 80th floor, where the sky lobby opens into a soaring space with 360-degree views across Port Phillip Bay, the Dandenongs, and the full Melbourne skyline. The design language is assured: dark, sophisticated, textural, with quietly luxurious materials. The two-lift journey to and from guest rooms is a genuine operational quirk that some find theatrical and others find tedious, particularly at peak times.

Atria, the signature restaurant on the 80th floor, is the culinary centerpiece and delivers genuine fine-dining theater — the view alone justifies a visit — though execution is uneven; the tasting menu in particular can feel disjointed. Breakfast, served à la carte with a small buffet, is generally excellent when the kitchen is on form, with standout dishes like the chili crab scrambled eggs, though service pacing is a chronic weakness. Cameo, the cocktail bar, is strong — inventive, atmospheric. The Lobby Lounge handles afternoon tea beautifully and is a legitimate destination experience in its own right. Room service is competent but the menu is surprisingly limited, especially late at night. The Club Lounge, when you have access, is arguably the hotel's single strongest dining proposition, offering five serving periods with quality that rivals the restaurants downstairs.

Rates sit at the top of the Melbourne market and, when the hotel is firing, the experience justifies the premium — this is a different class of product than the Park Hyatt, Crown Towers, or Sofitel. When service stumbles, as it does with some regularity, the value proposition weakens quickly. Food and beverage pricing is aggressive even by luxury standards, with $15 mineral water and Sunday surcharges striking a jarring note. The Club Lounge upgrade, at roughly $200–300 more per night, is arguably the single best-value add-on in the property for anyone staying more than one night.

At its best, the service here is exceptional — warm, anticipatory, genuinely hospitable in a way rare for Australian hotels. The door team, the club lounge staff (Lucas and his crew are consistent standouts), and key front-desk personalities are the soul of the property, and returning guests are remembered and fussed over in ways that feel sincere rather than scripted. But there is real inconsistency beneath the top tier. Breakfast service can be slow or disengaged; lobby bar and restaurant service ranges from polished to disorganized; Marriott Bonvoy elite recognition is a recurring sore point, with top-tier loyalists frequently feeling under-acknowledged. The gap between the property's best staff and its middle bench is wider than it should be at this price.

This is the hotel's most debated attribute. It sits at the Spencer Street end of the CBD, directly opposite Southern Cross Station — excellent for airport transfers, Marvel Stadium, and Docklands, but a tram ride or a brisk walk from the best of Melbourne's laneway dining, shopping, and cultural heart. For first-time visitors expecting to step out into Melbourne's celebrated café culture, the immediate surroundings can feel surprisingly corporate and, at night, quiet. Regular Melbourne visitors, by contrast, often appreciate the calm remove.