# Spending your layover inside Melbourne Airport

Melbourne airport has no hotel airside: every room is landside, so you need permission to enter Australia to use one. PARKROYAL is joined to the terminals by a covered walkway, the Novotel sells day rooms, and Terminal 2 has pay-per-use lounges and showers.

- Web page: https://melbournelayover.com/airport/
- Guide: [Melbourne Layover](https://melbournelayover.com/), an independent layover guide to Melbourne Airport (MEL), part of City Layover
- Updated 10 November 2026; facts checked 8 November 2026

## Can you sleep at Melbourne airport during a layover?

Not airside: Melbourne has no transit hotel or sleep pods, and the airport doesn't say the terminal stays open all night. With an ETA, eVisitor or visa, sleep at PARKROYAL, joined to the terminals by a covered walkway, or the Novotel, whose day rooms cost A$120 for a half day (seen November 2026). Staying after security, Terminal 2 has pay-per-use lounges and showers.

## At a glance

- **Hotels at the terminals**: PARKROYAL by covered walkway; Novotel a 10-minute walk; Holiday Inn by shuttle
- **Airside rooms**: None; no sleep pods
- **Day room**: Novotel, A$120 half day, A$150 full day
- **Lounges**: Marhaba, Plaza Premium and Aspire in Terminal 2, pay at the door
- **Left luggage**: Smarte Carte, Terminal 2 ground floor, 6am to midnight
- **Wi-Fi**: Free in Terminals 2, 3 and 4 (not Terminal 1)

## Hotels in and next to the terminals

Of the rooms at Melbourne Airport (MEL), none is airside: there's no transit hotel and no sleep pods. Every bed below is outside the terminal, so you pass immigration to reach it and need an ETA, eVisitor or visa (see [visa and transit rules](https://melbournelayover.com/visa-and-transit/)).

| Hotel | Where | Airside or landside | How you get there |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport | Above the car park opposite Terminals 1, 2 and 3 | Landside | On foot, by a covered walkway through the car park's ground floor |
| Novotel Melbourne Airport | Opposite Terminal 4 | Landside | On foot: about 10 minutes from Terminal 2, 5 from Terminals 3 and 4, under cover from Terminal 4 |
| ibis Styles Melbourne Airport | In the Novotel's building | Landside | As for the Novotel |
| Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport | About 400 m from the terminals | Landside | Shuttle on demand, day and night: A$3 a person to the airport, free from it |

**Which to choose.** PARKROYAL is the one you can walk to from your gate without waiting for anything, so it suits a late landing or an early flight. The Novotel is a 10-minute walk, with reception open around the clock, and it's the only one with a published day rate. Ibis budget, Mantra Tullamarine and Quest Melbourne Airport are also on the airport's list of nearby hotels.

**Sleeping in the terminal.** The airport doesn't say Terminal 2 stays open all night, so don't plan a night on a bench: book one of the rooms above.

## Day rooms

| Slot | Price seen |
| --- | --- |
| Novotel, half day | A$120 |
| Novotel, full day | A$150 |

Prices seen in November 2026, on the Novotel's own website. For a 6 to 12 hour layover you'd rather spend asleep, it's the simplest choice: you walk there from Terminal 2 in about 10 minutes. The other hotels don't publish a day rate; ask them directly.

## Lounges you can pay for

| Lounge | Terminal | Hours | From |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Marhaba | Terminal 2, between Gates 9 and 11 | From 3am or 4am to midnight or 1am, by day | Ask at the lounge |
| Plaza Premium | Terminal 2, near Gate 9 | 8:30am to midnight | A$73 (seen November 2026) |
| Aspire | Terminal 2 | 7am to 12:45am | Ask at the lounge |

All three are after security in Terminal 2, so you reach them on your way to your gate, without entering Australia. Marhaba has shower rooms, and it and Plaza Premium include free Wi-Fi. Marhaba limits numbers, so book it online if you're set on a shower there. Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Emirates have their own lounges in Terminal 2 for their premium passengers and members: your ticket or card decides whether you get in.

## Showers

Terminal 2 has shower rooms in International Departures, before and after security, so you can freshen up whichever side you're on. There are no towels to rent: pack one in your hand luggage. Forgot one? The Marhaba lounge has its own shower rooms; ask there about towels and any extra charge before you pay for entry.

## Fast Track

Melbourne Airport lists no paid fast-track lane at the border. Many ePassport holders can use the SmartGates, the automated passport gates, so the queue for a staffed desk is the one to avoid.

## Left luggage

Smarte Carte's desk is on the ground floor of Terminal 2, before security, near international arrivals. It's open 6am to midnight every day and doesn't publish its prices, so ask at the desk. There are lockers on the ground level of the Terminal 4 car park too. A bag left in the evening can't be collected between midnight and 6am, so plan around the hours if you're flying in the small hours.

## Connections, money and Wi-Fi

- **Wi-Fi.** Free in the terminals and car parks, except Terminal 1, where Qantas runs the network.
- **The terminals.** Terminal 2 is international; Terminals 1, 3 and 4 are domestic, in one long building, with a walk of 10 to 15 minutes between them. Arriving from abroad and connecting to a domestic flight, you collect your bags, clear customs and check in again.
- **Money.** Australia uses the Australian dollar (A$). SkyBus tickets can be bought online, at the kiosks by the stop, or with cash at the baggage storage desk in the Terminal 2 arrivals hall.
- **Phone.** The airport sells no SIM it publishes a price for; an eSIM set up before you fly is simplest.
- **Getting into town.** SkyBus to Southern Cross Station, about 30 minutes, from the stop outside Terminal 1: see [getting into the city](https://melbournelayover.com/getting-to-the-city/).

## Questions people ask

### Can I sleep at Melbourne airport on a layover?

Not in a hotel airside: Melbourne has no transit hotel or sleep pods. The airport doesn't say Terminal 2 stays open all night, so plan on a room. The hotels are landside, so you need an ETA, eVisitor or visa: PARKROYAL is joined to the terminals by a covered walkway, the Novotel is a 10-minute walk from Terminal 2, and the Holiday Inn runs a shuttle day and night.

### Is there a hotel inside Melbourne airport?

Not inside the terminals. PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport is the closest, above the car park opposite Terminals 1, 2 and 3, with a covered walkway to them. The Novotel is opposite Terminal 4, about 10 minutes on foot from Terminal 2 and 5 from Terminals 3 and 4.

### Can I pay for just a shower at Melbourne airport?

You don't need to: Terminal 2 has showers in International Departures, before and after security, with no room to book. There are no towels to rent, so bring your own. Marhaba's pay-per-use lounge has shower rooms too.

### Can I book a day room at Melbourne airport?

Yes, at the Novotel, opposite Terminal 4: A$120 for a half day or A$150 for a full day (seen November 2026), a 10-minute walk from Terminal 2. It's landside, so you need permission to enter Australia.

### How much is left luggage at Melbourne airport?

Smarte Carte doesn't publish its prices; ask at the desk. It's on the ground floor of Terminal 2, before security near international arrivals, open 6am to midnight every day. There are lockers on the ground level of the Terminal 4 car park too.

### Is Melbourne airport open 24 hours?

The airport doesn't say so, and SkyBus stops between about 1am and 4am. A night landing or an early flight is better spent in a hotel next to the terminals.

## Sources (checked 8 November 2026)

- [Melbourne Airport: hotels for an early flight (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/plan-parking-and-hotel-for-early-flight)
- [Novotel Melbourne Airport: location, walking times and day use (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.novotelmelbourneairport.com.au/)
- [PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-melbourne-airport.html)
- [Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport: FAQs (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://melbourneairport.holidayinn.com/hotel/frequently-asked-questions/)
- [Melbourne Airport: pay-per-use lounges (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/lounges-in-the-airport)
- [marhaba: Melbourne Airport lounge, hours, Wi-Fi and showers (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.marhabaservices.com/ae/english/global-lounges/melbourne-airport-lounge.html)
- [Plaza Premium Lounge: Melbourne Terminal 2, hours and price (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/en-uk/find/asia/australia/melbourne/melbourne-airport/international-departures-terminal-two)
- [Melbourne Airport: membership lounges (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/membership-lounges)
- [Melbourne Airport: facilities and services (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/facilities-services)
- [Melbourne Airport: baggage storage by Smarte Carte (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/shop/baggage-storage-by-smartecarte)
- [Melbourne Airport: Terminal 2 guide (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/terminal-2-guide)
- [Australian Border Force: SmartGate (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.abf.gov.au/smartgates)
- [Qantas: multi-city bookings and stopovers (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.qantas.com/en-us/book/flights/multi-city)
- [SkyBus: Melbourne City Express timetable (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.skybus.com.au/melbourne-city-express/timetable/)
- [Melbourne Airport: bus services (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://melbourneairport.com.au/bus-services)
- [Melbourne Airport: taxis and rideshare (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/taxi-and-uber)