The best accommodation in Melbourne with easy access to the Albert Park circuit for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix
- The 2025 Australian Grand Prix will be the first race of the new F1 season on March 13-16
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The Albert Park circuit in Melbourne has long been a favorite of Formula One fans, and the city surrounding it is a great travel destination if you’re planning on visiting for the race weekend. Often featuring high up ‘Livable Cities’ lists, Melbourne is convenient, clean, and easy to get around.
Melbourne is a large international city with an excellent supply of accommodation to suit all budgets. Unfortunately, most hotels impose an ‘F1 tax’ on Grand Prix weekend and prices go up across the board. On the plus side, the Australian dollar has fallen against international currencies over the past few years, making prices more attractive for foreign visitors. Melbourne has also embraced Airbnb and there is a wide selection of rooms and apartments for rent on Grand Prix weekend.
Rooms are, of course, in high demand in race week, but there are comfortable finds and bargain bookings to be found, if you know where to look. We’ve compiled the best places to stay in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix – everything from luxury hotels in upscale areas, through to hostels for every budget. For the best deals and highest-rated accommodation, we recommend booking well in advance.
Best Areas to Stay for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix
- Melbourne CBD: The city centre has a huge supply of good hotels and is really well connected to the circuit via free trams.
- Southbank: Next to the Yarra River across from the CBD, Southbank has restaurants and nightlife, including Crown Casino. Also close to the circuit.
- St Kilda: Melbourne’s oldest beachside suburb is close to the circuit and has a great selection of restaurants and nightlife. Free trams to the circuit on race weekend.
- South Yarra: An upmarket area very close to the track, South Yarra has a good supply of apartments and hotel rooms.
- Docklands: An up and coming area next to the water, west of the CBD, Docklands has plenty of high-end modern hotels.
Where to Stay in the Melbourne CBD
The Central Business District, or CBD, is the place to be if you’re new to the city and want to see the most famous tourist attractions while you’re there. The free tram running through the district means you’ll have no trouble getting around, and most of the biggest museums are centrally located if you find time for sightseeing. Additionally, the area is packed with cool cafes and excellent restaurants.
The hotels in the CBD are expensive, because you’re paying a price for all that convenience. With that said, there are some great places to stay. Crown Promenade Melbourne, Punthill Apartment Hotel – Manhattan and Oaks Melbourne on Collins Hotel are recommended.
If these hotels don’t fit your budget, but you want to be in the centre of the city, don’t fret – there are options to suit you. We recommend a good-quality, clean, and fun hostel like Flinders Backpackers, the sustainability-focused The Mansion Melbourne, or the no-frills CarricHostel.
Wherever you choose to stay, being in the CBD means you’ve got the chance to take in the flagship brand stores of Bourke Street Mall, the main shopping area, or to head down to the vibrant Chinatown area. It means you’ll never be bored, even when you’re not at the track. The CBD is only 5km from Albert Park, and there are free trams from Flinders Street Station and Southern Cross station on race weekend.
View all accommodation in Melbourne’s CBD for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix (March 13-16)
Where to Stay in Southbank
If you want non-stop entertainment, whatever your tastes, Southbank is the place to be. With the Crown Entertainment Complex offering the city’s biggest and best-known casino, you’ll be able to try your luck on the roulette wheel, right before watching the drivers try their luck on the track. Within Crown, as the locals call it, there are also all kinds of gaming, along with fine dining. There’s also the advantage of Southbank being close to the circuit.
With Southbank being one of the more fashionable districts of Melbourne, there are plenty of luxury hotels available. Two of the finest are The Langham Melbourne, and Crown Towers Melbourne, which is situated inside the entertainment complex of the same name. If these two are out of your price range, mid-budget offerings we recommend include the Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank and Mercure Melbourne Southbank.
Conveniently located between the CBD and the Albert Park Circuit, Southbank is served by free trams on race weekend or if you prefer, a taxi or Uber will get you there in under 10 minutes.
View all accommodation in Southbank on 2025 Australian Grand Prix weekend (March 13-16)
Where to Stay in St Kilda
Melbourne’s seaside paradise, St. Kilda has an air of a class British seaside resort in some of its architecture and urban planning, but combined with palm trees and much better weather, especially if you’re visiting for the Grand Prix! The Sea Baths offer plenty to pass the time, from excellent restaurants and bars, right through to spas. Sip a coffee or cocktail and watch from the promenade as people enjoy the beach below you. If you’re looking for a great restaurant in the area, Stokehouse takes locally sourced seafood and gives it a modern twist.
If that’s too sedate, or if you’re bringing the family with you for the race, Luna Park is a major amusement park, with rollercoasters to almost make you feel like it’s you who’s taking part in the Grand Prix! When you’re done with that, you’ll want somewhere to rest, and the famous Hotel Esplanade could be that place. Middle Park Hotel and the Oakwood Premier Melbourne are other hotels which will suit both your pocket and standards.
If you want a backpacker’s hostel, there is a good selection in St. Kilda. A bed in a dormitory should cost around $40-60 per night on Grand Prix weekend. If you want more privacy, you’ll pay around $80 per night for a private room in a hostel with shared bathroom.
St. Kilda borders the Albert Park circuit, and so it’s a walkable journey if you want – just follow Grey Street and Canterbury Road north-west until you get there. Otherwise, free trams are also available.
View all accommodation in St Kilda for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix (March 13-16)
Where to Stay in South Yarra
South Yarra is where well-off Melburnians have, through the years, sought to move, with its quiet charm and traditional feel making it a perfect place to settle. For tourists it offers a getaway which has less of the hustle and bustle of Southbank or the CBD, and more of a kind of market-town atmosphere. That doesn’t mean South Yarra has any less character than those districts, but arguably it’s a better place to go if you value tranquility away from the track.
Quest St. Kilda Road is right opposite Albert Park, while Ovolo South Yarra offers reliably high quality accommodation. If you’re looking for some savings, try the South Yarra Hostel – it gets booked up quickly, but it’s walking distance from the track. With South Yarra being really close to the Grand Prix circuit, you’ll have no problem getting to and from each day’s action. You should see signposting from wherever you are in South Yarra to Albert Park, with the circuit lying just outside the boundaries of the borough.
View all hotels & apartments in South Yarra for March 13-16, 2025.
Where to stay in Docklands
To see an up and coming area, filled with exciting public art installations and unique attractions, head to Docklands. Though the area is lined with skyscrapers, it’s much more than a business district, and offers visitors the chance to try VR gaming, or to take a trip across the Docklands Public Art Walk. ArtVo Immersive Gallery presents the chance to be part of the pictures using modern technology, while there are opportunities to rent a boat and spend your day on the bay. Quest Docklands and the Travelodge Hotel Melbourne Docklands are both good accommodation choices.
View all accommodation in Docklands for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix weekend (March 13-16)
I have stayed at the Art Series “The Blackman” for the past 3 years and found it a very comfortable hotel. A bit pricey around $250 to $300 a night for 2 adults & a child.
The hotel has paid car parking but after lunch Saturday & all day Sunday the parking is free on the street, but beware the local council’s employee of the month will pounce immediately after 8:30 am Monday morning if you are still there!
Its walking distance to the track but pretty close to the northern end of the park so it is a long walk but doable as it is flat