Melbourne’s Collins Street has become the first retail precinct in Australia to trial a precinct-wide valet parking service, giving visitors an easier way to park in the CBD.
Launching from Monday, 3rd August, the trial allows anyone visiting the Collins Street precinct (not exclusive to hotel guests or restaurant patrons) to use the valet service for a flat fee of $80 per day.
A New Way to Park in the CBD
The service operates from designated bays outside Novotel Melbourne on Collins at 270 Collins Street. Drivers pull into the designated bays, hand over their keys and let the valet take care of the rest. When they’re ready to leave, a quick text message brings their car back to the same Collins Street pick-up point.
However, unlike traditional valet services tied to a single hotel, shopping centre or restaurant, the Collins Street trial welcomes anyone visiting the precinct, whether they’re shopping, dining, working or attending appointments.
The valet service will operate seven days a week for a flat daily rate of $80, with parking costs included.
Designed to Make Visiting Easier
The Collins Street Precinct Group says the initiative aims to remove one of the biggest frustrations of driving into Melbourne’s CBD, which is finding parking. Instead of constantly circling blocks in search of an available space, visitors can head straight to the valet drop-off and spend more time enjoying the precinct.
“Collins Street has so much to offer, and we are continuing to look at ways to make the precinct safer, more accessible and easier to experience,” said Collins Street Precinct Group president Luke Harris.
The trial forms part of the Collins Street Precinct Group’s five-year strategy, which identifies improved parking and accessibility as key priorities for boosting visitation and supporting businesses.
It also sits within the City of Melbourne’s Voluntary Co-investment Pilot, a business-led initiative running from July 2026 to April 2027 that sees traders and council jointly fund projects designed to attract more visitors into the city. The model follows similar Business Improvement District programs already operating in cities including New York, London and Vancouver.
Expansion Could Stretch Across the CBD
If the trial proves successful, organisers hope to expand the service beyond its initial location outside Novotel Melbourne on Collins. Future plans could include multiple pick-up and drop-off points running along Collins Street, extending from Spring Street through to Docklands.
The rollout also places Melbourne alongside a small number of international destinations offering precinct-wide valet services, including Austin’s Old Sixth Street, Downtown Riverside in California, the Miami Design District and Dubai International Financial Centre.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the initiative reflects Collins Street’s reputation as one of Australia’s premier shopping destinations. “For over a century, Collins Street has been home to high-end boutiques and prestige shopping. Now, we’re making it even more classy by adding valet parking,” he said.
“This is the first time this service has been offered on a retail street in Australia, and it’s only fitting that it’s kicking off from the Paris End of Collins Street.” Reece also argued the service could help reduce congestion by cutting down the number of drivers circling city blocks looking for on-street parking.
While traders have welcomed the initiative, some transport advocacy groups have questioned whether encouraging more people to drive into the CBD aligns with Melbourne’s long-term transport goals.
For now, the trial remains limited to the two designated valet bays outside Novotel Melbourne on Collins, with organisers watching closely to see whether the service attracts enough demand to expand across the wider Collins Street precinct.
