Hyatt House South Melbourne

Hyatt House South Melbourne is a modern apartment-style hotel at 30 Palmerston Crescent, a few minutes' walk from the trams and within easy reach of Albert Park Lake and the South Melbourne Market. It is one of the more comfortable ways to stay in the area with a dog: pets are welcomed under the hotel's pet arrangement, guests rate it around 4.7, and rooms come with kitchenettes that make settling a dog into a routine easy.

Dogs at Hyatt House South Melbourne

Dogs (and cats) are welcome under the hotel's Pet Package, which includes a pet bed, a welcome toy, and food and water bowls. Under Hyatt's house policy dogs must weigh 30kg or under, and two dogs are possible in one room provided their combined weight stays under 30kg; service animals are exempt. The pet fee is non-refundable, reported at around $150 for stays of six nights or fewer with an additional cleaning fee for stays of seven to 30 nights, so ask for the exact figure when booking. Pets must be housebroken. Several rooms have private balconies, worth requesting for a bit of fresh air with a settled dog.

Worth knowing

This is a newer building and guest reviews consistently describe the rooms as quiet, warm and comfortable, with staff who go out of their way. It leans staycation rather than transit stop: full kitchenette, space to spread out, and a calm street in a residential pocket of South Melbourne.

Getting there and parking

Palmerston Crescent sits between Clarendon Street and St Kilda Road, with tram routes into the CBD a short walk away. Paid parking is available on site. From the door it is roughly a 15-minute walk to the Albert Park Lake foreshore paths.

Close by with the dogs

The 4.9km paved circuit around Albert Park Lake is the daily walk, flat and scenic, though dogs stay on lead around the water and the wildlife nesting areas. For a proper off-lead run, Eastern Reserve Dog Park is the local fenced option. If the Hyatt is full, Clarion Apartments South Melbourne is the budget apartment option on the same street. More options are on the South Melbourne destination page, and the full list is in the VIC stays index.

Max: A bed, a toy and my own bowls waiting in the room. The lake loop afterwards and I rate this hotel highly.