Melbourne's celebrity-favourite Lyall Hotel & Spa to reopen September 1 following major revamp

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Melbourne's celebrity-favourite Lyall Hotel & Spa to reopen September 1 following major revamp

By Julietta Jameson
Melbourne's Lyall Hotel & Spa counted the late Olivia Newton-John among its regulars.

Melbourne's Lyall Hotel & Spa counted the late Olivia Newton-John among its regulars.

Before it closed for renovation (brought forward by lockdown), Melbourne's Lyall Hotel & Spa counted a special guest among its regulars. The privately-owned South Yarra boutique property, which first opened in 2002, was frequented by Olivia Newton-John, who came to be a good friend to owners, Rowina and Peter Thomas.

"It was home to her," reflects Rowina Thomas. "Because my husband and I are in the hotel and it's very personal, not a chain-type operation, we were able to sort of snap to attention and just make things happen for her. For instance, when 60 Minutes rang and said, 'We want to come in and interview her this afternoon', we just made it happen."

A memory Thomas will cherish was being hosted by Newton-John in her top floor suite "with tea and scones and pretending we were English" as they watched the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on television.

sataug20showcase showcase Melbourne Lyall Hotel and SpaSpa ; text by Julietta Jameson
cr: Petrina Tinslay (handout image supplied via journalist, no syndication)A Lyall Signature Room (52 sqm) 

sataug20showcase showcase Melbourne Lyall Hotel and SpaSpa ; text by Julietta Jameson cr: Petrina Tinslay (handout image supplied via journalist, no syndication)A Lyall Signature Room (52 sqm) Credit: Petrina Tinslay

That's the kind of place the Lyall is: a pied a terre for out-of-towners (residents of the Mornington Peninsula are also regulars), a discreet haven for the famous like the late Newton-John, and an authentic slice of South Yarra life for visitors seeking something a bit different.

Now, with a full renovation, they, and the new friends the Lyall is bound to make, are in for a treat in terms of low-key luxury featuring bespoke furniture designed by Thomas and luxe soft touches courtesy of Warwick Fabrics, the Warwick family being friends of the proprietors.

As the Lyall opens again to guests on September 1, Thomas hopes non-hotel guests will come and enjoy the downstairs expanded bar and restaurant.

"Australians don't use hotel bars and restaurants as much as they do in Europe," says Thomas. But she says with the nearby section of Toorak Road enjoying a resurgence and South Yarra remaining one of Melbourne's most elegant neighbourhoods, not to mention the revitalised property being "Melbourne's most beautiful hotel and probably Australia's best urban hotel" as Thomas proudly puts it, perhaps the Lyall's al fresco tables will be the place this coming summer. And a perfect spot to make a toast to Livvy.

See thelyall.com

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