Melville House

Melville House is a historic guest house at 267 Ballina Road, East Lismore, blending art deco architecture with a large garden and a 17-metre outdoor pool. It is one of the few character stays in the Northern Rivers where dogs stay at no extra charge, in designated rooms rather than by exception.

Dogs at Melville House

The house runs specific pet-friendly rooms, currently the Jacaranda Room and the Southern Cross Room, with a maximum of two pets per room. You must give advance notice that you are travelling with a dog, and because the pet policy is not fully spelled out on the public listings, confirm room availability and any conditions by phone on (02) 6621 5778 or through the contact page before booking. The big garden adjoining the pool is the draw: real outdoor space for a dog to settle rather than a token lawn strip. Treat the pool as a people-only zone and keep the garden time supervised.

Worth knowing

The property keeps its art deco character, with upstairs bedrooms and old-world touches alongside free wifi and air-conditioning. Guests give it consistently strong ratings, with the garden and the host's hospitality recurring themes. It sits near Southern Cross University and Lismore Base Hospital, so it works both as a base for the Northern Rivers and for visitors to the university or hospital. Rates sit in the mid-range for the area, and the house is walkable to central Lismore's cafes and services. Wilsons River and the Lismore CBD are a few minutes down Ballina Road, and the Nimbin road heads into the hills to the northwest if you want a day drive.

While you're out there

The Elizabeth Gardens dog off-leash exercise area is the local off-lead run, and Hepburn Park's fenced dog park at Goonellabah is a fully fenced alternative a short drive east. For coffee, Dark Horse Espresso and The Bank Cafe and Espresso both sit in central Lismore.