Stay The Night: The Royce Hotel, Melbourne

In the 1920s, the rich people of Melbourne would swagger around the Rolls-Royce showroom on St Kilda Road, a leafy highway that drills south from the city centre. Today, the building is a recently refurbished, five-star, family-owned boutique hotel, appropriately named The Royce Hotel.

The early 20th-century, heritage-listed appearance has been retained, most spectacularly in the dramatic lobby lounge, which features a grand staircase and a beautifully delicate Asian silk frieze.

Even when nearly fully occupied, the hotel seems quiet and staff unhurried. All in all, it's the perfect tonic for visitors from the UK who would have just spent the past 25 hours on an aeroplane.

The bedroom

All 98 rooms, from the standard to the mezzanine lofts and suites, are good sized, with huge, comfortable beds with leather bedsteads, overlooked by a silk screen. This is a designer hotel, so you can settle down in sharply contoured chairs and work out how it is that Australians can get away with marrying so many different styles within four walls. Somehow, they do: the sleek bedding and chairs sit easily with the retro design of light wood desks and wardrobes and Art Deco lamps.

Many rooms have original art or limited-edition prints and all have CD players. Those with balconies overlooking St Kilda Road are the most conducive to late-afternoon lounging. All refurbished rooms have a 42in plasma screen: it's your call as to whether this is a plus or not.

The bathroom

It's separated from the main room by frieze-decorated glass doors, and Italian marble is the theme here. Many rooms have spa baths with TVs, and all have walk-in showers. There are mountains of fluffy towels, and no shortage of essences and aromas to add to your tub.

The food and drink

Like the rooms, the hotel's dining and wining haves embraced Aussie chic. For that pre-dinner cocktail, make for the Amberoom bar, a low-lit watering hole where the twilight effect is augmented by – surprise, surprise – amber lighting, and a shimmering bead curtain. All guests receive a free drink. Adjacent to the Amberoom is the Dish restaurant, decorated with hand-painted dishes by local artists.

Your environment includes dark-stained floors and contemporary furniture draped in cotton, an Indonesian wooden screen, panelled floors and an open kitchen. The excellent food could be described as global Pacific Rim, and lurches from snapper with Vietnamese coleslaw to Margaret River eye fillet, and Spanish doughnuts. Choose from more than 100 wines, many from local vineyards.

The extras

The location is good, adjacent to the city's Botanical Gardens, and a 20-minute walk, or five-minute tram ride, from the centre. For city information, contact the Melbourne Tourist Information Centre (visitmelbourne.com).

The access

Children are welcome, and larger rooms offer sofabeds and screens to afford both children and parents privacy from one another. There is wheelchair access throughout. Three rooms, all deluxe standard, are modified for guests with disabilities. There is Braille in the lifts.

The bill

Double rooms cost from £250 per night, including breakfast at weekends.

The address

The Royce Hotel, 379 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (00 613 9677 9900; roycehotels.com.au).