Inside The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, Australia's tallest hotel offering unparalleled views of the city

It may strike as odd that The Ritz-Carlton’s long-awaited return to Australia after an 18-year hiatus would begin in Perth, not nearly as known for its vibrancy as, say, Melbourne or Sydney.

Now I had the good fortune of visiting and dining at The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, situated in Elizabeth Quay on the banks of the Swan River, soon after Western Australia opened up to international visitors last year. And while the beautiful waterfront property is certainly one of Perth’s finer jewels, I’ve returned home rather edified following a glorious four-night stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne, which opened in March, a week before the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

The brand’s second Australian outpost, also designed by Australian architects Cottee Parker, will, quite literally, take your breath away.

Soaring 80 storeys above the city, The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne is now Australia’s tallest hotel occupying the top 17 floors (plus three lower floors) of West Side Place, a A$2.4 billion (S$2.1 billion) mixed-use development comprised of four hexagonal glass towers located in the western end of Melbourne’s Central Business District.

The area is evidently not the most obvious choice for such a fine beacon of luxury, and pundits believe it’s a billion-dollar gambit by developer Far East Consortium and Ritz-Carlton owner Marriott on the future gentrification of the district that’s a ways away from the central city buzz.

The new-build hotel sits on the former site of Melbourne newspaper publisher The Age, but you will find nary a trace of the previous tenant once you step through its glittering facade. 

It is also quickly apparent why The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne has been nine years in the making, opening its doors four years later than originally planned.

MEANINGFUL SPACES

Turn after turn, the interior designed by Melbourne-based BAR Studio is imbued with meaningful spaces that thoughtfully combine heritage with high gloss.

As you move through the space, what strikes you is the keen emphasis on interpreting the interior through a lens of artistry, cradled by cultural relevance. 

We learn of how the beautifully curated artworks by local artists that adorn the arrival lobby speak of Australia’s cultural identity and indigenous heritage, telling the city’s unique story from before and after its Victorian gold rush era.

As dusk approaches, this takes the form of an immersive cultural soundscape that unfolds in the arrival lobby every evening, replete with a visual light display telling a sensory story of emotion and authentic connection to place. Scenography, they call it.

But nothing prepares you for the scene that unravels up high above. A 45-second elevator ride (someone counted) whisks you up to the Sky Lobby on the 80th floor for the official check-in and for a moment, I wonder if I’m dizzy from the altitude.

Nay. It’s the spectacular views afforded by the floor-to-ceiling windows that have me giddy with delight.

The sense of grandeur in the Sky Lobby is outshone only by the sweeping views stretching from Port Phillip Bay below to the Dandenong Ranges far in the distance. From the mountains to the sea, it is awe-inspiring to say the least.

The Sky Lobby also serves as the gateway to intimate cocktail bar Cameo as well as the hotel’s signature restaurant Atria, which both offer more of these sensational panoramas that will leave you a little weak in the knees. It’s altogether an assuredly glitzy 360-degree vantage point we assure you won’t find elsewhere in the city.

Reflecting the city’s obsession with all things epicurean, Atria is named after the brightest star in the southern constellation, Triangulum Australe, and it stars one of Australia’s top culinary stars Mark Best as culinary advisor. For Atria, the award-winning chef-restaurateur-author worked closely with executive chef Michael Greenlaw to develop a “creative and progressive” menu focused on locally-sourced seasonal produce and dishes with a nod to honouring sustainable harvesters, growers, graziers and fishermen through a respectful connection to place and a considered understanding of the seasons.

Hyper seasonality, they call it.

It’s a concept that celebrates the ritual of place and respect for the ingredient, and what’s most remarkable is how guests have within view as you dine the regions from which they have been sourced. The local oysters were sublime, the wine divine.

Designed by local firm Layan, Atria features as a centrepiece a handmade chandelier by local artists Flaming Beacon, and my favourite spot during my stay was always at the 19-metre-long bar crafted from sustainably sourced Victorian ash – a prime position from which to survey the surrounds all the way to the Yarra Valley and beyond.

SUBTLE STORYTELLING

The attention and acuity to spatial design carries through in the subtle storytelling expressed in the spa as well. Guests are greeted by a waterfall wall upon arrival featuring an art installation of maple leaves which we’re told evokes memories of an iconic cultural landmark in the city of Melbourne.

There are six spa treatment rooms, and the treatments use products from ESPA. I opted for the 90-minute deep tissue massage, and I was quite impressed by the automated massage bed, which turned out to be heated. Now this is truly luxury.

On the menu you’ll also find The Indulgent Rose signature treatment, which comprises a foot massage, an energy balancing warm rose otto oil massage, and a soothing rose quartz gua sha facial. Having only recently discovered the profound health and age reversing benefits of gua sha for the face, I find myself a little rueful as I write this for not having chosen to try this back then.

Nevertheless, I cherish the time I spent with my therapist Olga and the sweet serenity she summoned on my behalf. I recall later soaking up more of those stellar vistas in the quiet of the post-massage tea-drinking ritual, this time overlooking the Queen Victoria Market and pleased as punch to be perched up here instead of jostling with the crowds at the bustling marketplace below.

Across the hallway, a striking infinity pool looks out over the city, adding further theatre to the stunning scenography.

A SENSE OF OCCASION

As you can imagine, the term ‘room with a view’ is quite literally taken to new heights here. Automated motorised blinds open upon entry to reveal the real star of this five-star luxury hotel: Melbourne.

The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne adds 257 hotel rooms to this vibrant metropolis widely regarded as Australia’s arts and epicurean capital.

Each room dutifully expresses understated elegance with a blend of dark wood, gold accents and a muted palette. At night, you sink into Frette sheets. And in the bathrooms, brass tapware, cult-favourite Diptyque toiletries and gold-veined Calacatta Oro marble everywhere convey a sense of occasion. Though at this level of luxury, automated and heated toilet seats would have been nice as well.

I was upgraded to an Executive Suite, which was so spacious and luxurious that I hardly ever wanted to leave all that lavishness and ended up ordering room service almost every night. It’s not often you find caviar on the in-room dining menu even in a luxury hotel such as this. At around A$200 for 30g, it would’ve been a tad indulgent for those nights alone, though. Maybe next time.

The writer was hosted by The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne.