Melbourne’s Lyall Hotel and Spa is set to reopen with its redesigned interiors on
1 September, 2022.
Melbourne’s Lyall Hotel and Spa will soon reopen with a refreshed design. The 49-room neighbourhood hotel in South Yarra is owned by Rowina and Peter Thomas who say that the hotel’s location allows guests to take in some of Melbourne’s most authentic experiences – including dining out, shopping, strolling the lakes of the Royal Botanic Gardens and visiting the National Gallery of Victoria.
Previous guest accommodation was in the style of apartments with kitchens; however, the majority of the new guest suites feature one defined area for living, sleeping and relaxing, and another for dressing, bathing and refreshing – including a walk-in wardrobe and separate powder room.
Families and longer-stay guests will be suited to the eight suites with kitchenettes – four of which have separate living rooms.
The upgraded Lyall Spa will offer restorative beauty treatments; while the Lyall Gym is fitted with the latest Technogym equipment, and moved to a new location that overlooks the Japanese Maple Garden.
The ground-floor cocktail bar and restaurant has been expanded and fitted with velvet banquettes beneath lighting by Australian designer Ryan Roberts of Soktas.
Design notes
The hotel’s interior redesign was led by Rowina Thomas, working closely with DKO Architecture.
“The concept for the style of the rooms was to ensure they exude understated elegance and sophistication,” says Rowina. “We have created this through a careful selection of fabrics and materials, layers and textures which work beautifully together. We have also added eye-catching details such as full-height bedheads to create a sense of grandeur and our own collection of bespoke furniture.”
Rowina personally designed many of the furniture pieces and had them produced locally, working to a Japanese design aesthetic.
“I began by sketching the furniture pieces, and then fortuitously found a local maker to materialise the vision. The use of dark stained Tasmanian Oak with accents of gold, which I reference to jewellery, adds to the Australian made story”.
Furnishings were completed by Warwick Fabrics, with the Warwick Family longtime collaborators with the Thomas family. Warwick textiles were used for upholstered pieces in each of the guest rooms and suites, including the bedhead, footstools, chaise and desk chair.
Bathrooms are finished in grey marble and each features an oval bathtub, double vanity and a walk-in rain shower.
Rates start from AUD$450 per night.