St Kilda Hotels

St Kilda is one of the famous suburbs of Melbourne, lying at about 6 km south of the central business district of the city of Melbourne. When a schooner named ‘Lady of St Kilda’ moored in this beach in 1841, one of the early settlers, Lieutenant James Lawrence named this area St Kilda. Several palatial mansions were built along the waterfront and the hills of St Kilda by the elite settlers of Melbourne. In the beginning of the twentieth century, St Kilda became to Melbourne like Coney Island to New York. After the Second World War, St Kilda became the red-light district for Melbourne. Since then, the bohemian atmosphere continued with aspiring musicians, artists, LGBT groups, and other subcultures like punks inhabiting this lovely St Kilda beach area. In recent years, there had been some changes in this area after trouble-making groups were pushed out of St Kilda, making it one of the most famous tourist attractions for Melbourne.

The St Kilda beach is the most visited beach in Melbourne at present. The emergence of renowned theatres and important festivals and events of Melbourne had brought about a turnaround in the reputation of St Kilda. Today, the major St Kilda attractions include the historic structures around the Esplanade area of St Kilda Melbourne and the shorefront area. Many of these structures have a Moorish architectural theme, featuring domes. Another early twentieth century St Kilda attraction is the Luna Park, an amusement park with historic railway that is quite scenic and the ‘Moonface’ entry into the amusement park. 

The St Kilda Pier, which ends at the St Kilda Pavilion, is an historic Edwardian building which stretches along a long breakwater. The breakwater shelters the harbour of St Kilda and a Fairy Penguin colony is an awesome sight for tourists here. Sunbathers and swimmers love the gentle bay with mild waves. A ferry service runs from the St Kilda Pier to Williamstown. Acland Street is the main shopping and restaurant area in St Kilda Melbourne, with several cafes and cake shops. The St Kilda Town Hall is a brutalist design by the famous architect Enrico Taglietti. The impressive building had been designed to open in a unique fashion like a book and it was finished in 1973. 

Accommodation in St Kilda is provided by many of the grand old St Kilda hotels. The most famous is the Esplanade Hotel built in 1878 and modified later. It had been nicknamed ‘The Espy’. The George Hotel was built in 1887 was later converted into studio apartments. The St Kilda Coffee Palace of the 1870s is a very busy hostel for backpackers at present. One of the most recent luxury hotels is the Prince of Wales Hotel, built in 1940. It is a famous music venue now.

Other hotels in St Kilda include Novotel Melbourne, Cosmopolitan Hotel, The Prince Hotel, Quest Kimberley, The Bayside, Quest St Kilda Bayside Inn, Best Western Easystay St Kilda Beach, Easystay at Carlisle, Royal Albert Apartments, Oslo Hotel, Olembia Guesthouse, Charnwood Motor Inn and Eildon Mansion. The prices of the St Kilda accommodation facilities listed above will be somewhat cheaper than the accommodations in proper Melbourne city and will suit tourists with limited budgets.