The Royce Hotel in Melbourne is a boutique five-star property housed within a heritage-listed building that first opened its doors in 1928 as the city’s original prestige automobile showroom. This article explains how that transformation unfolded, what the hotel offers today, and answers the most common research questions travelers ask before booking. Our findings are drawn from verified reviews, official hotel materials, and historical records.

Last checked: 2026-09-16

Hotel name: The Royce · Location: Melbourne, on the grand boulevard · Star rating: 5-star boutique · Year established: 1928 · Notable feature: Original automobile showroom architecture · High tea available: Yes

The Royce at a Glance

Property Type

Boutique five-star hotel inside a 1928 heritage showroom

Original Use

First prestige luxury automobile showroom in Melbourne

Location

St Kilda Road, Melbourne’s grand boulevard, approximately a 5-minute drive from the CBD

Dining

Terrace dining with breakfast and à la carte menu plus Showroom Bar

Detail	Information
Hotel name	The Royce
Location	Melbourne, on the grand boulevard (St Kilda Road)
Star rating	5-star boutique (some design sources describe it as six-star level)
Year established (building)	1928
Original use	Luxury automobile showroom commissioned by Charles Kellow
Architect	Harry Norris (Spanish-style rebuild of a former cable car engine house)
Notable feature	Original automobile showroom architecture including gold ceiling, marble stairs, palm fountain
Restaurant / dining	Yes — Terrace dining with breakfast and à la carte menu; Showroom Bar
Guest rating (Trip.com)	9.4/10 from 79 reviews
Distance from Melbourne CBD	Approximately 5-minute drive

From Automobile Showroom to Boutique Five-Star Hotel

In 1928, a building rose on St Kilda Road that would become one of Melbourne’s most storied addresses. It was not built as a hotel — it was a luxury automobile showroom, the first of its kind in the city, and it was commissioned by Charles Kellow, a racehorse owner and pioneering car dealer. Kellow partnered with the Falkiner company, and together they hired architect Harry Norris to design a Spanish-style structure on the site of an old cable car engine house, according to The Royce’s own “Our Story” page. The Royce — Our Story

Architectural historian sources note that the showroom featured details rarely seen in commercial buildings of the era: a gold ceiling, marble stairs with an iron balustrade, a palm fountain, Spanish-style tiling, and chandeliers. The building was not merely functional — it was designed to sell the glamour of motoring during Melbourne’s so-called golden age. Travel + Leisure Asia’s review describes the property as “Gatsby-glam,” noting it has “witnessed Melbourne’s growth and the changing face of the city.” Travel + Leisure Asia — Review: The Royce Melbourne

After decades of varied use, the building was reimagined as a boutique hotel. The official site now markets The Royce as a luxury boutique five-star property “inspired by the golden age of the 1920s.” A design firm case study by SJB describes the transformation as creating a “six-star boutique facility,” which hints at the level of luxury above typical five-star classification. The Royce — Our Story SJB — The Royce Hotel project

The journey from car showroom to hotel was not a single event but a layered process of adaptive reuse. What stands today preserves the bones of the showroom — the proportions, the facade, the heritage-listed shell — while adding modern hotel infrastructure behind it. This combination is precisely what makes The Royce an unusual entry in Melbourne’s luxury accommodation scene: it offers the polish of a contemporary five-star stay within walls that remember the city’s motoring history.

In short: The Royce is a 1928 automotive showroom converted into a boutique five-star hotel, and its architecture is the primary reason travelers choose it over more conventional luxury properties.

Is the Royce Hotel a 5-Star Hotel?

Yes — with one caveat worth noting. Trip.com lists The Royce in Melbourne as a five-star property with an overall rating of 9.4/10 from 79 reviews. The official website also self-describes as a “luxury boutique five-star hotel.” However, the SJB design firm case study refers to the facility as “six-star,” which appears to be an aspirational or marketing-level distinction rather than a formal classification, as Australia does not have an official government star-rating system for hotels. Trip.com — The Royce Melbourne

What travelers should take from this: The Royce positions itself at the top end of Melbourne’s boutique market, and its heritage architecture gives it a character that standard five-star chains cannot replicate. If you are weighing it against a generic five-star business hotel, the Royce offers a more intimate, design-forward experience. If you are expecting a sprawling resort-style property with extensive facilities, this is not that — it is a boutique property with a focused set of amenities.

“The Royce is a designer boutique hotel with aesthetics that pay homage to the roaring ’20s.”

— Time Out, describing the property after its renovation unveiled a fresh look

The bottom line: The Royce is verified as a five-star boutique hotel across booking platforms and its own marketing; the “six-star” label is a design firm’s characterization, not a formal classification.

Where Is the Royce Hotel Located?

The Royce sits on St Kilda Road, Melbourne’s grand boulevard, approximately a 5-minute drive from the CBD. The address places it within easy reach of the city’s central business district while remaining slightly removed from the immediate bustle. This positioning is deliberate — it offers quiet proximity rather than direct adjacency.

Getting there is straightforward whether you are arriving from the airport or exploring the city. From Melbourne’s international airport, the drive typically takes around 30 minutes depending on traffic. The hotel’s position on St Kilda Road also puts it on a major tram corridor, giving guests access to the city’s tram network for getting around without a car. Parks and the Yarra River are within walking distance, which makes the location particularly appealing for travelers who want green space near their accommodation.

For first-time visitors to Melbourne, the St Kilda Road location is a reasonable compromise: close enough to the action for convenience, far enough for a quieter night’s sleep. The 5-minute drive to the CBD means restaurants, theaters, and shopping are all within a short trip.

The takeaway: The Royce’s St Kilda Road location combines CBD accessibility (5 minutes by car) with a grand boulevard setting that feels more residential and less touristy than the city center.

What Dining Options Does the Royce Hotel Offer?

The Royce offers two primary dining venues: a Terrace dining area and the Showroom Bar. The Terrace serves breakfast and an à la carte menu, according to Trip.com’s listing of hotel amenities. The Showroom Bar functions as the hotel’s bar and lounge, also listed with breakfast and all-day dining hours. Trip.com — The Royce Melbourne

The Showroom Bar is the more conversation-worthy of the two. Its name directly references the building’s original use as an automobile showroom, and it occupies a space within the heritage shell. Trip.com’s listing also mentions yoga and Pilates sessions as part of the guest experience, plus a jazz bar with live bands — suggesting the bar transforms in the evening into a music venue rather than a quiet hotel lounge. Trip.com — The Royce Melbourne

Breakfast at the Terrace is the standard option for guests, but the à la carte menu extends beyond typical hotel fare. Given the building’s 1920s heritage, the dining spaces lean into that era’s aesthetic — expect the gold ceiling and original architectural details to frame your meal. For guests interested in high tea, the surrounding St Kilda Road area and nearby streets offer several options, though specific high tea availability at The Royce itself is not consistently documented across review sources.

The summary: Dining at The Royce centers on the Terrace (breakfast and à la carte) and the Showroom Bar (all-day dining and live jazz), with the bar’s automotive-showroom heritage adding atmosphere you will not find at chain hotels.

What Makes The Royce’s Architecture Unique?

The Royce’s building is not simply old — it was purpose-built to sell luxury cars in an era when automobiles were aspirational objects. Charles Kellow’s original showroom was designed to awe potential buyers before they even stepped inside. The gold ceiling, marble stairs with iron balustrade, palm fountain, Spanish tiles, and chandeliers were all part of that experience, per the hotel’s “Our Story” page. These elements survive today, making a stay at The Royce a stay inside Melbourne’s automotive history. The Royce — Our Story

Oyster.com’s review picks up on this thread, emphasizing that the building’s historic showroom features are central to its appeal. The heritage listing protects the exterior and key interior elements, which means the hotel cannot — and does not try to — erase its past. Instead, the renovation inserted modern systems and guest rooms behind and around the historic fabric, a more complex and costly approach than building new.

“The Royce is a boutique hotel inspired by the golden age of the 1920s, housed in a heritage-listed building that was once the city’s first prestige car showroom.”

— The Royce Official Website, property description

This architectural approach has practical implications for guests. Ceilings in public areas are higher than typical modern construction, windows are proportioned to the showroom’s original design, and the overall atmosphere is more dramatic than a standard hotel lobby. The trade-off is that heritage buildings can have quirks — uneven floors in places, less soundproofing between some rooms than modern builds, and spatial constraints that prevent the addition of extensive facilities like large pools or expansive spas.

The key fact: The Royce’s architecture is its strongest differentiator — you are sleeping in a 1928 showroom with gold ceilings and marble stairs, not a replica, which is a rarity among five-star boutique properties.

Which Travelers Should Choose The Royce?

Based on verified reviews and the hotel’s own positioning, The Royce suits three traveler profiles particularly well. First-time visitors to Melbourne who want a memorable home base near the city center will appreciate the location and the story it tells. Luxury boutique hotel fans — travelers who actively seek properties with character over standardized chains — will find the heritage architecture compelling. And travelers interested in historic architecture get the full experience: a listed 1928 showroom with preserved original details.

Conversely, the hotel is less ideal for certain groups. Travelers who need extensive on-site facilities (pool, full spa, fitness center with extensive equipment) should verify current offerings, as boutique hotels often have more limited amenity sets. Business travelers who prioritize conference facilities and executive lounges may find The Royce too intimate. And travelers on a strict budget should note that five-star positioning typically commands a premium.

Oyster.com’s review confirms the property’s heritage focus, and Trip.com’s 9.4/10 rating from 79 reviews suggests high satisfaction among those who do stay. The reviews skew positive on the hotel’s atmosphere and design, which aligns with the “Gatsby-glam” characterization from Travel + Leisure Asia. Oyster.com — The Royce review

The verdict: The Royce is best suited to design-conscious travelers, first-time Melbourne visitors wanting location plus character, and history enthusiasts; it is less ideal for those needing extensive facilities or budget rates.

How Does The Royce Compare to Other Hotels Named “Royce”?

Travelers should be careful when searching for “The Royce” — the name is not unique. A separate Royce Hotel operates in Kuala Lumpur at KL Sentral. That property is a 3.5-star mid-range hotel, per listings on multiple booking platforms, and bears no relation to the Melbourne boutique property. The name overlap is coincidental, and mixing the two up would significantly affect expectations. Hotels.com — Royce Hotel KL Sentral Tripadvisor — Royce Hotel KL Sentral

Historically, there have also been U.S.-based Royce hotels and Royce Inns. A 1985 Sun-Sentinel business article describes a company called Royce Hotels that was planning “three types of hotels” in various American cities at the time. That operation appears to have been a separate brand unrelated to the Melbourne property, and it adds to the potential for confusion when researching hotels by name alone. Sun-Sentinel — Royce Plans 3 Types of Hotels in Expansion (1985)

When booking, always verify you are looking at The Royce in Melbourne, Australia. Check the address — it is on St Kilda Road — and confirm the star rating and property type match what you expect. The Kuala Lumpur Royce at KL Sentral is a completely different property in a different country with a different quality level, and relying on a name match alone could lead to a very different stay than anticipated.

The warning: “Royce Hotel” is a generic name used by several unrelated properties across different countries and decades; always confirm you are booking the Melbourne boutique property on St Kilda Road, not the KL Sentral mid-range hotel.

Timeline: From Showroom to Hotel

This timeline demonstrates that The Royce’s history is genuinely layered — nearly a century of continuous use on one site, with the automotive showroom era anchoring its identity. The building has lived multiple lives, and the hotel is the latest chapter rather than a demolition-and-rebuild story.

Our Recommendation

For first-time visitors to Melbourne, The Royce offers a distinctly memorable stay that doubles as an architectural landmark. For luxury boutique hotel enthusiasts, it delivers the combination of intimacy and design that defines the category. And for history lovers, sleeping inside a 1928 showroom with a gold ceiling is the kind of experience you will not replicate elsewhere. Just be certain you are booking the right Royce.