Mr & Mrs Smith

Spacious and comfortable rooms, with a choice of pillow styles, a TV in every room and a Nespresso machine. There are full washing-machine facilities and an excellent valet service. It's close to shops and cafés, and there's a nice range of magazines to browse.

TV reception was rather poor.

I loved the relaxed feeling the Lyall provides and it has always been a favourite of ours. We knew when we got married that the only place to spend our night as man and wife was the Lyall. The most fantastic place to stay in Melbourne .

We loved the Lyall Hotel and Spa. It had just the right mix of relaxed romantic atmosphere and savvy insider knowledge about the neighbourhood. The ground floor suite was quiet and blackout curtains and great sheets made for a divine sleep. Nearby, France Soir (www.france-soir.com.au) is an iconic local restaurant; small but perfectly formed, serving beautiful French cuisine – order the rabbit in mustard sauce if it's on the menu! The hotel concierge got us a table for two – on the night – at this bustling and upbeat restaurant, which has been operating for over 20 years. Dainty Sichuan noodles is also worth a visit; again located a short walk along Toorak Road. It was a huge hit with our group of five – we had the hot broth in the centre of the table and ordered many dipping sauces, and meat, seafood and vegetable items to cook. Great fun, great flavours! Don't neglect the chance to try the Lyall Spa – the Sodashi Vanilla Body Bliss exfoliation treatment was heavenly.

The Lyall Hotel and Spa is a fabulous find in a lovely northern suburb of Melbourne. The suites are lovely and have their own washer and dryer. The rooms are comfortable and the staff are attentive without being obsequious. The location is close to trams and trains. The local South Yarra neighbourhood boasts fabulous casual places to eat, including ECCO an Italian cafe with incredible wood fired oven pizzas, and Da Noi which serves an authentic Sardinian cuisine with a menu that varies daily according to seasonal availability. For breakfast, go to Cafe Gaia, which has brilliant coffee, excellent food, and rapid service - a great local hangout. If you want a tranquil place to stay the Hotel Lyall is perfect.