Return of The Royce: Melbourne hotel aims to bring back ‘golden age of hospitality’

Luxury Melbourne hotel The Royce has reopened to guests following a two-year refurbishment project that aims to “bring the golden age of hospitality back to the city”.

The 94-room art deco hotel – owned by hotel investor and developer, Mazen Tabet – is taking its luxury experience up a notch with a promise that “service will be led with discretion, indulgence will be encouraged, and opulence will be expected.”

Located on the border of the CBD and South Yarra, The Royce is a short drive away from another Tabet property, The Lyall Hotel and Spa which was purchased for AU$30.5 million in December.

The heritage-listed building, originally designed in 1928, was the original home of Rolls Royce in Melbourne. The latest iteration of the hotel pays tribute to that prestigious showroom with 1920s touches including an illuminated porte-cochère for a glamourous arrival experience.

Home to a 24-hour concierge, the hotel lobby features a 14-metre-high curved marble fireplace surrounded by plush furnishings in navy blue and royal purple, with large chandelier hanging from the high ceiling above.

The accommodation offering features 18 spacious suites, each with a unique design, and includes six two-storey loft-suites – formerly the Rolls Royce mechanic workshop – with original cornicing. Each room is complemented by white Italian Carerra marble bathrooms, complete with hand cut glass alcoves.

The hotel’s Showroom Bar offers all-day dining with a selection of British dishes on the menu, while the hotel restaurant – a bright and airy space with delicate botanical wallpaper, imported from Barcelona – welcomes guests to dine inside or outside on the hotel’s terrace.

The hotel’s event spaces include The Royce’s Library, an intimate setting for private events with floor-to-ceiling Zebrano timber bookshelves, and The Ballroom which can welcome up to 120 people. The latter features six grand chandeliers with chrome panelling on the walls inspired by the classic Rolls Royce grill.

The hotel also includes three boardrooms, each named after the iconic businessmen of its past: the Henry Room, the Norris Room and the Kellow Room.