Tolarno Hotel

Being surrounded by artwork. High ceilings in old building. Easy parking. Tram. Friendly and helpful staff.

Tolarno iS iconic in Melbourne. I remember it as an art gallery in the 1980s, when it was the scene of incredibly diverse exhibitions, managed by George Mora, the son of gallery founders, George and Mirka Mora. Mirka is renowned for her painting illustration work, with its distinctive patterning. Tolarno is a brilliant hotel conversion. Art is everywhere, distinctive recognisable art of diverse media and style. In some areas it is as if pieces of gallery have been hewn from the old walls and repurposed to continue its education and entertainment roles here. Tolarno was known for its hearty food, generosity of spirit and hospitality. All of those qualities are on display now, and the staff generate a welcoming vibe even when they are not around. One never feels stranded. The rooms are comfortable and well maintained, with a strong character of homey architecture before the ubiquitous marble, plastic and flat plasterboard of contemporary hostelries. There are no lifts and rooms are on various levels, making the place inaccessible to many, but its lack in this area probably contributes to its incredible affordability. You are right in the midst of Fitzroy Street here and on the quieter side of the street. I heartily recommend Hotel Tolarno.

The staff at Tolarno's are very pleasant, helpful and accommodating. The hotel is quirky and has been a part of the neighbourhood for decades. It is full of artwork and the downstairs restaurant - currently closed for renovations - will be a welcome re-addition when it eventually reopens. The property is within walking distance to the beach, eateries, venues. The tram stop is literally outside the door and a tram journey into Melb CBD takes approximately 15 minutes. The property, given its age, is not perfect, but is a local landmark and should be preserved as is.

I am a returning guest to Tolarno's, a quirky building that has been a feature of St Kilda for decades. The staff at Tolarno's are splendid people, polite, accommodating and helpful. I will happily return again. Thank you.

The staff at tolarnos are friendly and helpful. They are the property's best asset. The property is old but iconic. It has its quirks. The rooms are well resourced however with fridge, microwave, toaster, kettle, tv. The shower is clean and with ample hot water. The property is walking distance to the beach and tourist attractions.

Grungy and sketchy. Not at all what I expected. A dingly old style hotel behind 2 closed down bar/resturants. Room had a bit of a kitchen, then another one in the room with a bed.

proximity to eating houses

Goid kidseuj

Loved the artwork and staying so close to the beach. The room was a fabulous array of colours and excellent amenities. Lovely friendly staff and easy tram access to the city.

I always love staying here for the convenience and atmosphere

The balcony was great and location was central to restaurants.

We loved how close it was to the tram stop & also to St Kilda beach. Easy walking distance Thank you for having us

Massive 2 bed apartment. huge and comfy couch. Friendly staff. Great location. Quiet room location, back off the Main Street.

Comfortable room with all you need for an overnighter, location was great for the tram to Acland St

Needs a refit of nearly all appliances despite appearing near new (TV, fridge, Fans in room and in bathroom- didnt use the microwave but the jug worked), a chair so there is somewhere to sit other than on the bed and somewhere to put electronic appliances handy to this. Some peeling paint on ceilings points to water leaks in places. Hot water availability was also uncertain. I stayed 4 nights and no room service at all despite kitchenette encouraging own food preparation and only one very small garbage bin (and no bowl to eat cereal etc if you could find out where to buy it). Had to ask for a fresh hand towel. The existing front cafe / bar and restaurant are no longer operating and no information about nearby Metro's to get your own or alternate cafe's restaurants. New day manager trying hard to help but a proper audit is essential to establish what needs to be done. Very sad to see such an iconic cultural place going to ruin. I had also booked and paid for 4 nights in advance through Wotif but when a charge came through that a payment was going to an unknown company in the US despite the notice that there were no foreign currency charges, I responded to a scam warning from my bank and as a result my credit card was cancelled at considerable inconvenience to myself. I subsequently found out from the hotel that Exepedia owned Wotif and were responsible in the US (under a different name) for the transaction-too late.

Good location. Nothing flash about he rooms but staff were helpful.

For the most part the room was clean and well presented. However, there were several long, black hairs on the bed and bedside table and the bath tub had a film of dust indicating it had neither been used or wiped down for an extended period. Finally, there was no soap apart from a very small tube of body wash. One small bar soap would have been sufficient.

this is only a 2-3 star rating hotel, very shabby and smells of smoke in the corridors. The window blinds are filthy and smell musty. The carpet is old and shabby. The whole hotel needs a makeover.

Staff were excellent. Very helpful and went out of their way for us.

Older property which of course could do with updating, but this is to be expected at this fantastic price. Room was HUGE and so comfortable and really, really well appointed. It had absolutely everything we needed. Excellent transport links, will definitely be staying here again!