The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne

The nation’s highest hotel is GT’s standout for its sky-high city views, luxe interiors, impressive art collection, excellent dining and mix of local and international know-how.

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THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT ALL NEW multi-starred, name-brand, luxury hotels will include a checklist of benchmarks. Day spa, signature pool, ambitious and/or name chef restaurant, king-size beds, oversized marble-clad bathrooms. All are now de rigueur in upscale hotel land, their absence more notable than their presence.

The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne emphatically met all those expectations when it opened in the city’s western end in 2023. But this link of the global Ritz-Carlton chain has avoided any cookie-cutter sameness that such box-ticking exercises can bring by consciously and cleverly embracing the culture of the city it calls home.

The Melbourne outpost currently holds the title of Australia’s highest hotel (it occupies the top 17 and the first three floors of an 80-storey skyscraper), meaning that one of its signature features is the spectacular views of Melbourne and beyond, captured and highlighted via steel-framed floor-to-ceiling windows in public spaces and every room and suite.