Ritz Grand Retreat

Hotel Description

I remember pulling up to the Ritz Grand Retreat on Little Lonsdale Street – you know, that quieter stretch right near the edge of the CBD, where the trams rattle by every few minutes but don’t quite drown out the chatter from the nearby cafes. It’s at 633, tucked between those old Victorian buildings and the modern high-rises, and honestly, finding parking was a bit of a hassle if you’re driving in from the airport – street spots are scarce, especially during peak hours when everyone’s rushing to the courts or the uni nearby. But once I stepped inside, the lobby hit me with this cozy, almost understated elegance; think polished wooden floors that creak just a little underfoot, fresh coffee wafting from the breakfast bar (they do a mean flat white, by the way), and staff who actually remember your name without checking a screen. Check-in was smooth – no long queues like at some of the bigger chains down on Collins Street – and they even upgraded me to a room with a view of Flagstaff Gardens across the way, which was a nice surprise after a long flight.

What really sets this place apart, I think, is how it balances that 4-star polish with a sort of lived-in charm – not too flashy, but thoughtful in ways that matter. My room was spacious enough, with those big windows letting in the morning light (though the curtains could use a thicker lining if you’re sensitive to the early Melbourne sunrises in summer). The bed was plush, like sinking into a cloud after wandering around Queen Victoria Market all day – oh, and speaking of which, it’s just a 10-minute stroll north from here, perfect for grabbing fresh produce or those cheap dumplings on a whim. Amenities-wise, there’s a decent gym on the lower level, nothing extravagant but equipped with free weights and a treadmill that overlooks the street – I squeezed in a quick session before heading out to explore. The bathroom had those rain showerheads that make you linger a bit too long, and the complimentary toiletries smelled faintly of eucalyptus, which felt authentically Aussie. That said, the Wi-Fi could be spotty in the evenings when everyone’s streaming – not a deal-breaker, but worth noting if you’re working remotely. Noise levels are generally low, especially on the upper floors, though you might hear the occasional siren from the nearby hospitals; it’s Melbourne, after all, always buzzing but in a good way.

All in all, with its 8.2 rating, the Ritz Grand Retreat is the kind of spot I’d recommend for anyone wanting to feel plugged into the city without the overwhelm of staying right in the heart of Bourke Street’s chaos. It’s great for business trips – close to the legal precinct and Flagstaff Station for easy tram hops to the Docklands – or even a relaxed weekend getaway, especially in shoulder seasons like autumn when the gardens are turning colors and the crowds thin out. Well, I mean, it’s not perfect (breakfast options could include more vegan choices), but it left me with that warm, “I’d come back” feeling – and isn’t that what you want from a hotel in a city as vibrant as Melbourne? If you’re booking, aim for a garden-view room; trust me, watching the joggers in the morning beats staring at a brick wall any day.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $178. One-Bedroom Apartment with 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 3

Reviews

• Weekend away – Munro from Australia – 9 February 2025 (8/10)

  Close to the CBD. Easily accesible. Clean throughout.
  
  What could be improved: Mattress was a bit firm for my liking. A couple scuff marks on the walls could've been removed. Maybe a fan in the room to help in the warmer months. Aircon didn't do much to cool down bedroom.

• Convenient location, nice view and nice selection of hot drinks. – Sally from Australia – 9 June 2025 (7/10)

  Convenient location and a good price.
  
  What could be improved: – Not very clean, short black hairs in bathroom sink and chips behind the couch (didn’t take photos of the hair as we just washed it down, left the chips).
  – Bed was very very firm.
  – The shower mat would get soaked each shower as there was no lip to stop the water coming out from underneath the door.

• We had a fabulous time, thank you – Warwick from Australia – 3 June 2025 (10/10)

  It was terrific. No problems with anything

• Great accommodation – Georgia from Australia – 2 March 2025 (10/10)

  Great location, walking distance to Southern Cross station and shops. Would stay here again.

• Location was great, the rest needs some work. – Niels from Australia – 7 February 2025 (6/10)

  Nice bathroom, nice view, great location (in CBD, 200m to Coles, < 500m walking distance from Skybus terminal which has luggage storage lockers ($8/3 hours, $26/day).
  
  What could be improved: – booked and paid 11th Jan for 30 Jan arrival. Five days prior to arrival received request for additional personal information (copy of driver's license or passport) that was needed "in order to smooth check-in". Do not appreciate sharing this type of information (not required in my general experience) and there is no indication on the Booking.com site that this will be required. If this had been disclosed on Booking.com, I would have chosen a different place to stay.
  – accessing keys to apartment – this was late 3:30, instead of 2:00 and only after follow-up calls. Needed QR code to access key lock-up. Only one key for apartment – not great for when two people are staying in apartment.
  – to access pool, sauna, and gym required additional steps / logins.
  – minimally equipped:
  – only two smallish unmatched, less-than-plush shower towels. No hand towels in bathroom. No pool towels. Shower stall could use some type of rack (shelving on suction cups) to store our toiletries (soaps, shampoos).
  – Kitchen needs measuring spoons, measuring cups, better (sharper) cooking knives, a hand towel, a dish towel, a dish rag (to wipe down counters), better can opener. The "towel" provided was barely absorbent.
  – bedroom – needs a second night table and lamp. Also, a top sheet on the bed. Comforter on bed is not big enough – only goes to edges of bed, not down sides. This is not big enough for two people to share. Second comforter in the closet had no cover.
  
  As a final note, take some time to remove the IKEA stickers from your glasses, vases, tables legs, etc. Pulled glasses from dishwasher and cupboard that still had stickers / labels on them.

• Disappointing – Ward from Australia – 24 March 2025 (4/10)

  Position was great
  
  What could be improved: didn't like that we had to go elsewhere to get a key…much easier if @ the property..lack of information about the key when initially booking the room….
  bed was very hard.
  apartment opposite ours was noisy, people coming & going all night on the Friday..

• Has the potential to be much better with some attention to comfort details – Tim from Australia – 6 March 2025 (6/10)

  58th floor!!! Location, Location, Location – is excellent for those coming in by train and wishing to access that end of Melbourne CBD.
  Very (?too new) well laid out unit, though bathromm is at the other end (of a small) unit.
  The provided personal wasshing products (Dove) are excellent.
  We didn't do any of our own cooking but it seemed what wass provided wass adequate – perhaps some sugar for the coffee and tea would be an advantage
  Was too busy to check out the pool and gym so can't comment.
  
  What could be improved: I attempted to communicate this during our stay
  You should get two sets of keys for two occupants – keys are a shortish walk offsite but once understood was easy to obtain
  The bed is way too firm – perhaps improved by a matress topper.
  There was only a bottom sheet on the double (not queen sized bed) and a doona. We went and bought another top sheet ourselves
  The cutlery draw came out in my hand the first time I opened it.
  The iron is very very basic, sticks to the clothes – needs to be upgraded
  We're not used to looking out our bedroom window into somebody else's bedroom and they into ours – "that is CBD high rise life". There are block out blinds for night time but perhaps some sheer curtains for some day time privacy would be good.

• Great location. – Anonymous from Australia – 15 June 2025 (8/10)

  Great location. Very clean. Spacious and well-equipped apartment. Easy to communicate with the host.
  
  What could be improved: Lack of transparency re: key collection (this was at a separate location a little distance from the apartment) which you don't find out until day of booking when an email is sent with instruction on how to collect. Not overly problematic, but was a bit annoying trying to find late at night when I arrived. Although very nice, the apartment was actually in the adjacent complex to the Ritz collection apartments so not quite as advertised. This made it difficult to find (probably not a problem in day light hours).

• Superb – Michael from Australia – 27 June 2025 (9/10)

• Exceptional – Ying from New Zealand – 23 May 2025 (10/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities