The Olsen Hotel, Melbourne
Expert reviews
“The Olsen Hotel, a 224-room property in South Yarra, is dedicated to the 91-year-old landscape artist, John Olsen, one of Australia’s most accomplished painters, with his works scattered throughout.”
Featured in New York Times’ 36 Hours in Melbourne.
What guests liked
- Boutique style
- Great location
- Friendly staff
- Comfortable beds
All you need to know
The Olsen Hotel is situated in the famous Chapel Street of Melbourne. There are 224 spacious and elegant rooms for the guests. The rooms are designed with the artistic works of Dr John Olsen. When you enter the Hotel, you will find a sculpture that will blow your mind.
Here are some of the best services of The Olsen Hotel.
Rooms
The Olsen rooms are categorized into different styles to complement every guest. The room types are studio suite with and without balcony, deluxe studio suite single and twin bed, and many more. Here, in The Olsen’s, you also get penthouses to make your stay even more pleasant.
Facilities
The Olsen Hotel is packed with loads of facilities for the guests. The hotel gives you a 24-hour room service. You get the facility to organize an event in the hotel. You are granted access to one of the smart cars to tour the city. The hotel has a gym and massage room to give health benefits during your stay. You get many more facilities such as Valet service, local tours, pools, sun deck and much more.
Meeting Rooms and other events
The hotel has six meeting rooms well equipped for all business presentations. You can go pre-booking the dates for your meeting and then you are good to go. If you have a marriage function, then the Olsen offers beautiful penthouses for such events. They offer exclusive discounts on overall costs as the wedding event offer.
Hotel deals & lowest price guarantee
We partner with Booking.com and Agoda. Both booking websites offer the lowest price guarantee so you can be certain you will always get the best deal for this hotel. If you have seen a better price elsewhere, all you need to do is contact the booking website and they will refund you the difference immediately. You can price match right up until the day before check-in.
Location
Recent guest reviews
12 May 2025
Nice pictures on the Walls. Good sized room & facilities. Good location.
Liked the pictures on the walls. Large nice rooms. Restaurant was good. Pool nice. And small gym satisfactory. Good location close to family, & Shops, including Coles within walking distance.
Bit of confusion with Bill as they charged our room someone's else's restaurant bill. It was sorted out. Also some confusion if the breakfast was included. This was also sorted.
11 May 2025
Comfortable and Convenient and good value for money
The location is brilliant. I’ve stayed here recently in March and the hotel is close to a great number of shops and cafes and near the gym I use in Richmond. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and well equipped including Nespresso machines
Only small thing was the bathroom did not have much space on the vanity for toiletries
9 May 2025
Pleasant
Comfortable bed and great location
Facilities are tired and no spa as advertised
5 May 2025
Very good
Service. Restaurant
Nil
4 May 2025
Pleasant
Location, room was a good size, bed was comfortable and liked the bar.
Pillows are too soft. Not the same as other Art Series motels. Bathroom was a little small but nice.
1 May 2025
Very good
Great location and good rooms and good facilities
The service team at breakfast were absolutely diabolical. They have no concept of customer service. I ordered a fresh juice with my breakfast and it never came. After waiting 15 minutes I went to the bar to ask if I could collect it and was told to ‘wait, I am busy’. The waiter / reception person was serving 10 tables but couldn’t cope. A disaster to add breakfast to your package
28 April 2025
Fabulous
Comfy , pool for kids! Great view ! Friendly
Nothing bad other then we only had 2 towels between 5 of us was to late for me to worry with the kids about calling!
20 April 2025
We had a great time, loved the pool!
The pool, the location, little treats in the foyer
18 April 2025
Very good
The room service was incredible
17 April 2025
Fabulous
It was great I incorrectly booked the wrong room
15 April 2025
I would stay here again
Great location, great facilities, slight mix up with the booking (we were put in a lesser suite than we had paid for) but this was resolved. The rooms needed a bit of painting and maintenance but otherwise good.
12 April 2025
Location and spacious rooms
Amazing location Good to have in house restaurant open till 9 pm
Getting a bit long in the tooth
5 April 2025
Good.we will staying there again soon.
We stayed in room 706. The toilet seat was hanging by a thread- very loose.
4 April 2025
Pleasant
the beds were very comfortable
there was a sewerage smell coming from the bathroom drains
2 April 2025
Friendly staff but no real atmosphere
Reasonable
1 April 2025
Excellent location
We had a fabulous studio , BUT the entry door failed to open after we’d dropped our luggage off. The staff were accommodating and the manager offered us a drink in the bar as he thought it would be a quick fix. It took over an hour and were then told we were being moved to a “superior suite” . It wasn’t better, it had smaller bathrooms, but it had a balcony which was no use to us. Breakfast was good, but I got the impression that it was not a well maintained hotel, eg the safe didn’t work (in the 1st room), the 1 lift had access to all floors unlike the other 2 which could only be accessed with the security key. The signage on doors and lifts had broken lettering and the lift floor at the doors needed to be repaired. It’s a great location despite the unpleasant experience.
31 March 2025
Great stay
Perfect location near train station and cool area of Melbourne. Room was set up a bit strangely, but generally it was great.
31 March 2025
super friendly and accommodating staff, nice pool and gym, well located.
super friendly and accommodating staff, quick to respond to any requests. Nice pool and gym.
well appointed but not the most well thought out rooms. It took me a day to work out the various lighting configurations and there were no cloths or teatowels to clean up the kitchenette.
30 March 2025
Comfortable and convenienr
The bed was comfortable the location excellent the room quite large
There was no on site parking and we were not previously informed.
30 March 2025
Very good
Great location and price
30 March 2025
Comfortable and welcoming.
Staff were very polite and helpful, very homely, Beds were comfortable, we were able to fit a family of five comfortably, breakfast in the restaurant was delicious & I received a bottle of wine and free drinks for my birthday.
Chapel street traffic was loud. Lots of hoons with loud cars.
30 March 2025
Lovely stay
The food and drinks at the bar were very good and the room service breakfast was quick and good. Great views from my balcony and large lounge & dinning space.
The coffee wasn’t great. Not great flavour and considering Melbourne is known for its coffee and there are so many fantastic coffee roasters out there it could be much better.
25 March 2025
Very good
Was overcharged - charged the 2 rooms price as a single room. However, once I pointed the error out was refunded my money.
23 March 2025
Fabulous
Location was walking distance to woollies, restaurant and train station. Only 2 stops to flinders st station.
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant took an hour to be served otherwise it tasted lovely.
21 March 2025
Awesome !
Will definitely recommend and stay again
14 March 2025
Pleasant
Location was perfect, comfortable decent sized main room and bathroom with adequate facilities.
Bathroom basin had big cracks and chips in it. We stayed two nights and were supplied with two coffee pods - could have been a little more generous. Weekend parking across the road was half the price.
12 March 2025
Great spot but needs an update
The location
I wouldn’t say I didn’t like the property but I’d say it’s a bit out dated
11 March 2025
Excellent
Great location, pool, and gym.
6 March 2025
comfortable and pleasant in the upgraded room
the upgrade was much appreciated I booked on Booking.com the room with kitchenette but the 1st room didnt have it , not the coffee machine not a microwave ...anyway i was moved into the room that had it all and in a much quieter corner ( 1st one was overlooking the Chapel st ...tram makes it hard to sleep) The POOL was great and big ! sort of outside and heated. the Staff very polite and helpful :)
Bed is quite hard ...for me... i have a bad back so ability to function the next day is important. Swimming has helped to loosen it up .
2 March 2025
Fabulous
Location and value for money.
Bathroom needs updating. Bathroom sink cracked and floor stained.
26 February 2025
Second time i stayed at the Olsen and it’s always fantastic
The bed was comfy! Restaurant was 10/10
There should be free bottled water in the room
21 February 2025
reliable comfortable hotel
good location, very spacious, good facilities in room. eg kettle, coffee maker, etc handy having a restaurant downstairs close to many shops, including supermarket, Big W and lots of restaurants
decor and fittings looking a bit tired and in need of refresh. shower head is hard to get right not much bench space in bathroom
21 February 2025
Comfortable spacious stylish room, trendy location
Great location in South Yarra - restaurants, bars, cafes, shopping Comfy bed Spacious Stylish Room Pod coffee in room
Breakfast while delicious - a bit expensive
18 February 2025
Really relaxing
The view
The freezer kept defrosting in the mini bar
11 February 2025
A good value city hotel for a family break
It was perfectly located close to the train station to get around the city. The room was well set up for a family - the kitchenette was well equipped and the dish drawer was a bonus - although we mainly ate out, it meant we could have a few simple meals in our room. As a family of 4 sharing a twin room, the room was more spacious than most and we felt we had plenty of space for our weeks stay. Plus the pool was a lovely extra especially at the end of a hot day. The staff were very friendly and we particularly appreciated being able to check in early.
10 February 2025
Quite comfortable for an overnight stay
Location, ice water in the foyer, staff, pool
The room was very small which I probably should have expected but didn’t. No bathroom privacy at all as so close to the bed. Having said that, the staff were great and it was lovely and clean
9 February 2025
Funky well apportioned hotel
The room and the art were great
The check in process was ridiculously slow and laborious
8 February 2025
Fabulous
The location was great for what we needed. Breakfast was fine.
On arrival, the receptionist seemed quite disinterested . Not a good way to start our break.
4 February 2025
Fabulous
Perfect location, big rooms, lovely pool
Food and beverage options are a bit average and expensive for what they are. No free bottled water in rooms was a bit surprising.
3 February 2025
Great stay - would stay again.
Really great location, good sized room and I love the amenities at the hotel! I love staying here when I’m in Melbourne
The bed felt a little hard. I struggled to get used to it.
3 February 2025
Great place. Well located. Will return
Costly. Comfortable. Clean. Convenient and great value
Location. Quality. Comfort
1 February 2025
Efficient, nicely-decorated Melbourne hotel in a pleasantly busy neighborhood.
Efficient, knowledgeable staff. Comfortable room, large enough for two people and large suitcases. Great location, lots to explore!
29 January 2025
Fabulous
Good location. Good rooms
The restaurant was very average, poor service and overpriced
28 January 2025
Ideal location, great staff, comfortable room, good value for money
Location, late check if you become a member , 1pm! Nice and clean
Charging $100 deposit which took several days to be returned to my account
19 January 2025
relaxing. until check out
bed, room, location. excellent. very disappointed to find $500 worth of overcharges on my account on checkout, mainly for parking (I don't have a car)
18 January 2025
Fabulous
The location was excellent very good for my purposes parking was easy, breakfast menu was good and the cafe service good
Mattress was a bit soft but very comfortable. The bathroom was a bit small
13 January 2025
I thought the staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel is old and dated.
Staff and service
The room was shabby and dated. Damaged blind, cupboard hanging off its hinge and chips in veneer.
5 January 2025
Excellent
I didn’t having any breakfast while staying there.
Not comment
4 January 2025
Had three different rooms. First room was outside the door to the pool / gym area and started banging at 0530. Staff
Location Cleanliness
Tired - looks in need of a refurb
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Kid meals (additional charge)
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Soundproof rooms
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Grocery deliveries (additional charge)
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Business centre (additional charge)
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Fitness centre
- - Fitness
- - Bicycle rental (additional charge)
Outdoors
- - Terrace
- - Outdoor pool
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor pool (all year)
- - Outdoor furniture
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Street parking
- - Electric vehicle charging station
- - Accessible parking
Pool and wellness
- - Heated pool
- - Shallow end
- - Sun loungers or beach chairs
- - Fence around pool
- - Swimming pool
- - Swimming Pool
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Face masks for guests available
19 May 2025
Great location. Excellent restaurant, happy hour and breakfast included in our room rate.