Villa Donati
Style Opulent private residence
Setting Leafy Richmond
A grand Victorian terrace with an imposing Italianate façade, Villa Donati in Melbourne has to be one of south-eastern Australia’s most decadent stays. Previously both an archbishop’s residence and a massage parlour, it exudes style from its European café-esque breakfast room to the ornate marble-and-iron fireplaces in its luxurious bedrooms. Filled with beautiful furniture, artwork and decorative items collected by the owners over many years of travelling, this opulent B&B is clearly a labour of love.
Need to know
- Rooms There are four rooms in the hotel, plus a one-bedroom apartment situated in Melbourne’s city centre.
- Rates Double rooms from $246.41 (AU$231), excluding tax at 10 per cent.
- More details Rates include breakfast.
- Facilities Library, free WiFi, on-street parking (permits provided). In rooms: queen-size beds, flatscreen TVs, minibar, video/DVD player, underfloor heating, air-conditioning (in three rooms), Pure Herbs toiletries.
- Poolside There’s no pool at the hotel, but there is a sunny balcony off the upstairs lounge, with French café-style tables and chairs and a lovely view of the Melbourne skyline. It’s a great spot for a glass of wine in the evening.
- Check-out 11am; earliest check-in, 1pm.
- Children The hotel is not suitable for children under 15. More...
- Also The hotel is closed from 29 April to 3 June. No pets are allowed at Villa Donati.
Food and drink at Villa Donati
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Hotel restaurant
There is no restaurant at Villa Donati, but you’re not going to go hungry – the hotel is just a short walk from some of Melbourne’s finest eateries. A lovely breakfast of fruit juice, cereals, yoghurt and fruit, followed by a seasonal hot dish such as pancetta tart and home-made chutney, is taken in the elegant café-style breakfast room. This space, filled with antique French chairs and tables, overlooks the street. -
Dress code
Anything goes – though a Breton top (for him) or a jauntily angled beret (for her) wouldn’t go amiss in the breakfast room. -
Top table
Get up early and bag one of the tables near the window. -
Last orders
Breakfast is served 8am–9am during the week, and from 8.30am–9.30am at weekends. All dietary needs are catered for. -
Room service
Just help yourself from the fridge. -
Hotel bar
The hotel doesn’t have a bar, but drinks can be taken in the upstairs lounge or out on the balcony. The fridge next to the breakfast room has a ready supply of complimentary beer and mineral water.
Villa Donati 377 Church Street, Richmond, Melbourne, 3121
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Smith extra at Villa Donati
A bottle of Australian wine
In the know
Our favourite rooms
We love the enormous Room 4, a doctors’ surgery in the hotel’s previous incarnation. It comes with polished Kauri Pine floorboards and a queen-size bed that’s covered in a brightly coloured throw. A tall mirror with a heavy wooden frame leans against one wall and a large comfy couch sits in one corner; and the little outside courtyard, complete with table and chairs, is the ideal spot to enjoy a morning coffee.
Packing tips
Bring an empty suitcase. Villa Donati is at the heart of Melbourne’s interior-design district, and you’re bound to be tempted to buy something. Also, make sure you’ve got your driving licence – the nearby Ferrari showroom offers self-drive day trips.
Also
Apartment 401, Villa Donati's separate one-bedroom flat in the middle of Melbourne, is perfectly located on one of the city's coolest laneways. It offers an abundance of shops, restaurants, theatres and the National Gallery on the doorstep – ie, everything you need for that perfect city break. From A$230 a night.
From the Guestbook…
The place was beautifully furnished and homely, urban-euro cool. The breakfast and the sta...
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