Good Weekend’s 52 Weekends Away: Great NSW and ACT getaways

This story is part of the 52 Weekends Away Edition of Good Weekend.See all 15 stories.

From Byron bases to biodynamic vineyards, CBD heritage havens to seaside idylls, rose farms and cherry orchards: indulgent changes of location for those in need of rapid restoration.

Cicada Luxury Camping

­127 Jerrara Road, Jerrara; 0400 991 452.

An adults-only tent at Cicada Luxury Camping in Jerrara.

THE LOCATION Jerrara is in the Kiama hinterland on the South Coast, 90 minutes’ drive south of Sydney.

THE PLACE There are four adults-only tents on the property, including two safari ones, which come with a king bed, en suite, kitchenette and an outdoor bath, and two smaller bell tents (queen bed, wooden deck, with shared bathroom and kitchen 50 metres away). All tents are fully powered by solar; water comes from rainwater tanks and the bath and cleaning products are eco-friendly. They are exceptionally comfortable and highly atmospheric.

THE EXPERIENCE The tents are decked out stylishly and cosily with wooden floors and soft furnishings in neutral tones. Sitting about 60 metres apart, they are cleverly positioned to provide you with total privacy, which is handy when you’re sitting in your outdoor bath with a cold beer. The view over Jamberoo Valley is mesmerising, with hillsides that fold into one another and, in the middle distance, a series of velvety emerald pastures dotted with cows. You can laze in the hammock, on your deck, or head off to nearby Werri Beach for a swim. But be sure to return in time to watch the sunset and cook dinner over your fire pit. Catering is BYO but cooking utensils and staples are supplied.

All tents are fully solar-powered.

DON’T MISS The Kiama Blowhole is famous for a reason, turning even a placid ocean into roaring geysers – it’s claimed to be the largest in the world.

FROM $245 a night; two-night minimum stay. Tim Elliott

Jamberoo Valley Farm Cottage

185 Wallaby Hill Road, Jamberoo; 0452 388 457.

The view from a cottage deck.Credit: Brigid Arnott.

THE LOCATION Jamberoo Valley is a picturesque farming enclave near Kiama on the NSW South Coast, two hours’ drive south of Sydney.

THE PLACE Jamberoo Valley Farm covers 26 hectares of undulating countryside, and comes complete with opinionated animals and tall gums, as well as fantastic views from the green valley floor right up to the Illawarra Escarpment. The cottage (one of three on the property) has pale wooden floors, slate-grey walls, linen couches and enormous windows to take in the view. There’s also a generous deck and heated Swedish spa tub facing the valley. A complimentary bottle of wine is provided, as are biscuits, jam, milk and hot bread in the morning.

A cottage bedroom.Credit: Brigid Arnott

THE EXPERIENCE This is a place to indulge your country living fantasies. Wander down the wisteria-clad steps and through the jasmine arch to collect the eggs, scratch the goats and say hello to the alpacas (hay provided). There are blue wrens to watch and a rope swing to dangle on. Sit on the deck with a cup of tea, try out the tub, stoke up the woodfire. Any minute now you’ll be baking scones.

DON’T MISS The Minnamurra Falls walk through rare South Coast rainforest and lyrebird habitat is a 10-minute drive away.

FROM $520 a night; two-night minimum stay, three nights during school and public holidays. Amanda Hooton

Hotel Totto

60 Market Street, Wollongong; [phone].

The open-plan lobby has stacks of National Geographic magazines to peruse.

THE LOCATION This hotel provides a great base from which to explore the South Coast. It’s in the centre of the city of Wollongong, 90 minutes south of Sydney.

THE PLACE This university accommodation block, turned into an Independent Collection hotel by EVT, is a relaxed affair. An open-plan, industrial-style lobby features self-check-in kiosks, works by artist-in-residence Chris Riley, stacks of National Geographic magazines, lots of greenery and cosy chairs in which to kick back and enjoy it all. The 150 guest rooms are kept comfortable with a restful palette, crisp white bedding, all the necessary tech and refillable amenities.

Crisp white bedding in a Hotel Totto room.

THE EXPERIENCE The architect’s interior choices had Millennials front of mind, but genuine hospitality and coastal charm attract all ages. So leave your restful room, find a reading and coffee spot on the mismatched sofas, or strike up a conversation with travellers and locals indulging in a spritz during happy hour. After a day in the waves or exploring, the aroma of the woodfire pizzas will lure you to the hotel’s Mediterranean-inspired Basta Trattoria, showcasing local produce via generous sharing plates. Secure your table in advance, and keep an eye out for both in-house activity sessions and seasonal packages giving access to local attractions, including Jamberoo Action Park.

DON’T MISS Visit the impressive Wollongong Art Gallery or the city’s botanic garden.

FROM $161 a night. Nicole Economos

Motel Molly

2 Shepherd Street, Mollymook; [phone].

Plus-size umbrellas at Motel Molly’s pool.

THE LOCATION Find the Molly at the south end of Mollymook Beach in the NSW South Coast region of Shoalhaven, 3.5 hours’ drive south of Sydney.

THE PLACE A nifty refit has transformed what was a 1970s blond-brick relic into a snappy Moroccan-inspired motel, with 16 sunny suites featuring jute carpets, soothing pastels and views over the garden or sea.

THE EXPERIENCE It’s very much Marrakesh meets Palm Springs here, from the rooms, with their Levantine ceramics, sunken baths and retro SMEG fridges, to the pastel-infused poolside space, where you can lounge under plus-sized umbrellas. There are world-class beaches within 10 minutes’ drive, but you can also saunter down to Mollymook Beach, a minute’s walk from the motel. The town has also become an unlikely food hub, with gourmet offerings like Rick Stein at Bannisters, Cupitt’s Estate and Gwylo, an Asian fusion place with fantastic cocktails. Check out the nearby village of Milton – a gateway to the dreamy hinterland. The fishing harbour at Ulladulla is also fun – pick up some prawns at Lucky’s fish shop in Deering Street.

Molly’s Palm Springs-inspired decor, incorporating jute carpets and muted pastels.

DON’T MISS If you’re here in December and January, visit the pick-your-own Clyde River Berry Farm, 45 minutes’ drive south of Mollymook.

FROM $230 a night; two-night minimum stay over weekends from October to the New Year. Tim Elliott

Sun Ranch

17 Byron Creek Road, Coopers Shoot; 0428 043 509.

Sun Ranch, a 20-minute drive from Byron Bay.Credit: Nina Karnikowski

THE LOCATION The hinterland town of Coopers Shoot, a 20-minute drive from Byron Bay, is home to some of the best real estate in the Northern Rivers – and now a transportive eco-ranch.

THE PLACE When this 22-hectare property came up for sale in 2021, Sun Ranch co-founders Julia Ashwood (co-owner of the nearby Eltham Hotel) and Jamie Blakey (founder of fashion brand One Teaspoon) knew it was the ideal location for a luxury coastal ranch. Taking inspiration from 1970s Californian ranch houses as well as their travels to places like Mexico and Spain, the pair remodelled the five-bedroom farmhouse, drenching the walls in vibrant colour and filling it with eclectic vintage furniture and works from local artists. They also added six two-bedroom, off-grid barns, with wood-panelled walls and ceilings, on the ridge that hugs the property.

The property’s design was inspired by 1970s Californian ranch houses and the owners’ trips to Mexico and Spain.Credit: Anson Smart

THE EXPERIENCE Afternoons by the 25-metre hillside pool and local produce-focused fire feasts by chef Pip Sumbak are followed by nightcaps in The Lair, a sunken lounge room with a tiger-print wraparound sofa and sculptural fireplace. For active travellers, there’s horse riding, kayaking, e-bikes, yoga classes, and a wood-fired sauna and ice bath by the dam. The whole ranch can be booked for 35 people.

DON’T MISS The “lucky star ritual”: a cacao ceremony (a sacred South American practice), breathwork class and sound healing, all in one.

FROM $850 a night; two-night minimum stay. Nina Karnikowski

Hotel Marvell

4 Marvell Street, Byron Bay; [phone].

Centrally located Hotel Marvell, a five-minute walk to the beach.

THE LOCATION This pad is one block from Byron Bay’s main street and five minutes’ walk to the beach.

THE PLACE Melbourne-based entrepreneurs Scott Emery and Scott Didier opened what they’re touting as Byron’s “first centrally located five-star hotel” in August. The triple-storey, tropical brutalist build features raw concrete and rich timbers covered in cascading greenery, and a public laneway entrance where backpackers stroll by carrying surfboards and six-packs. Each of the 24 light-filled rooms and suites is let’s-not-leave comfortable, thanks to Bemboka linen, Eadie cushions, Leif toiletries and touch-screen temperature control. Most notably, however, there is a rooftop pool.

THE EXPERIENCE Grab one of the chequered Baina towels and head straight to that pool. The sunset views to Cape Byron and Mount Warning are brilliant, and you can take in all the Northern Rivers majesty with a drink from the rooftop bar. Bypass the too-sweet house cocktails and go for a well-made classic instead – there’s nothing like putting your nose in a good book with a negroni while your toes are in the water. Eventually, of course, you’re going to need to eat dinner, and one of the best new restaurants in NSW is only three blocks away.

DON’T MISS Bar Heather, named New Regional Restaurant of the Year in The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide 2024 (and better value than Hotel Marvell’s smart-casual diner on the ground floor).

FROM $605 a night. Callan Boys

The Brooklet

841 Fernleigh Road, Brooklet; 0413 120 409.

The Brooklet villas sit on a ridge in the Byron hinterland.

THE LOCATION This stylish retreat on a former macadamia farm is in the Byron Bay hinterland at bucolic Brooklet, 900 metres from the Olivia Newton-John-founded Gaia Retreat, an e-bike ride to the pretty hamlet of Newrybar, and a short drive to Broken Head.

THE PLACE Six spacious stone-and-weatherboard villas – three one-bedders and three with two bedrooms – sit on a ridge affording mesmerising views of the undulating countryside. Large private terraces with fireplaces and barbecues feature outside, while inside, vaulted ceilings soar over impeccable country style that’s as comfortable as it is functional. Full kitchens for self-catering, deep bathtubs, superb quality bed linen, thoughtful art, covetable tiles and other on-point decorative choices abound. Also on-site is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a large deck and private magnesium pool.

Full kitchens enable self-catering.

THE EXPERIENCE A stunning 25-metre, outdoor mineral pool and hot tub, positioned for those hillside vistas may be as far as you get, but The Brooklet also offers a well-equipped gym, sauna, ice bath, treatment room, e-bikes and tennis court. The Barn, an event space, The Bar and The Kitchen – where chef Simon Favorito works the pizza oven or parrilla grill – all operate as a club, open to non-staying members, adding local liveliness.

DON’T MISS Harvest, at nearby Newrybar, showcases Northern Rivers’ produce and cuisine with artistry and flair.

FROM $750 a night; two-night minimum stay. Julietta Jameson

Manly Pacific

55 North Steyne, Manly; [phone].

The Coastal Suite at the Manly Pacific.

THE LOCATION This jewel of the Sydney northern beaches may only be 20 minutes from the CBD – by ferry or car – but there are strong holiday vibes to be found.

THE PLACE The boxy hotel on the southern end of Manly beach has gone through many iterations since it opened in the 1980s (the site has had a hotel on it since the 1900s). The latest, a member of Accor’s MGallery Collection, aims to blur the line between beach and hotel. The ground-floor restaurants open onto the esplanade; the rows of white balconies, which give the building a cruise-ship look, allow guests to peer straight through the branches of Manly’s famous Norfolk Island pines to the ocean, and the tall windows bring the light, sea air and sounds of crashing waves inside.

The Manly Pacific’s rooftop pool area.

THE EXPERIENCE With its marble, pale wood and light-grey fabrics – a décor theme that runs across the lobby, rooms and rooftop swimming pool – the Manly Pacific has an elegant, Long Island beach club feel that transports guests from the city hustle. The vibe is enhanced by the private sauna, the Peloton-bike-upon-request and the extensive downstairs gym.

DON’T MISS The Cumberland is a charming, speakeasy-style bar concealed behind an antique fridge door in a small, vintage-style deli called The Cove on Central Avenue.

FROM $369 a night. Jordan Baker

202 Elizabeth

202-210 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills; [phone].

City skyline views from the rooftop lounge area at 202 Elizabeth.

THE LOCATION The boutique hotel is, as per the name, on busy Elizabeth Street at the foot of Surry Hills, right opposite Central Station. The Sydney CBD is on your doorstep with major theatres, galleries, parks, wine bars and eateries a short walk away.

THE PLACE Being wedged between three other buildings and a busy road, the transformation of a 1980s blond-brick building into a luxury six-storey, 38-room hotel was tricky. In an Australian first, the hotel was built from the “inside out” using cross-laminated timber made offsite and lifted into the property with cranes (the wooden fire-escape stairs that run through the core of the building prove a striking feature). There are five suites to choose from, with the swankiest offering private balconies, walk-in rain showers, complimentary minibars and king-size beds. There’s a leafy courtyard and a wine bar on the ground floor, but don’t miss the rooftop lounge area overlooking the city skyline.

The Lizzy suite at 202 Elizabeth.

THE EXPERIENCE Don’t be fooled by the restraint of the hotel’s facade – marked only by a gold 202-210. Attention to detail flows throughout, with the design by experienced Sydney hotel architect, Connie Alessi and styling by in-demand interior designer and artist, Lisa Madigan. An eccentric mix of art and vintage pieces adorns the common spaces and there’s a botanical-themed feature wall from Kingdom Home Design in each room. The hotel serves as a mini-showcase of Australian producers and designers, with Piyama robes and Hunter Lab toiletries. You can enjoy being in the heart of the city, while also feeling you’re a million miles from it.

DON’T MISS Bring your furry friend along for the stay – the entire hotel is dog-friendly.

FROM $300 a night. Melanie Kembrey

The Porter House Hotel

203 Castlereagh Street, Sydney; [phone].

A room in The Porter House Hotel, opposite the southern end of Hyde Park.Credit: Steve Woodburn

THE LOCATION The Porter House rises on an otherwise prosaic portion of Sydney’s CBD, a quick march from Hyde Park South with its moving art-deco gem, the Anzac Memorial.

THE PLACE If there’s something Sydney’s hotels lack, it’s a true sense of place and history. Not so the 122-room Angelo Candelapas-designed Porter House Hotel, one of the city’s newest – and at the same time, effectively oldest – digs. With its distinctive, individually hooded windows, the hotel occupies the first 10 floors of a striking 36-storey contemporary tower, and incorporates an attractive, meticulously refurbished 1870s sandstone building.

The hotel is one of the city’s newest – and oldest – digs.Credit: Steve Woodburn

THE EXPERIENCE Nothing to do with the famed side of beef, the heritage building – with original commercial signwriting on its external walls – began as the Dixson & Sons tobacco factory, with the hotel’s pricey signature (and non-smoking) brasserie bearing the same name. Downstairs, Henry’s Bread & Wine is a more laidback and inviting cafe-cum-wine bar (and a budding florist). Elsewhere, the decorated tower rooms are all soothing, soft pink and blue tonings, complete with leather detailing adorning joinery, armchairs and love-seats.

DON’T MISS Channelling the glamour cocktail bars of New York and London, Spice Trader is Porter House’s premier drinking hole, on a high floor of the handsome heritage pile.

FROM $419 a night. Anthony Dennis

Shed by Zin

329 Tinja Lane, Mudgee; [phone].

Shed by Zin at Lowe winery, Mudgee.

THE LOCATION Mudgee is 264 kilometres north-west of Sydney (about three and a half hours’ drive) via the Blue Mountains. Tinja Farm is home to Lowe Family Wine Co, hatted restaurant Zin House, biodynamic vines and vegetable gardens, and the most charming shed you’ve ever slept in.

THE PLACE For solo travellers or couples, the spacious but cosy artist’s studio is a haven strung with plants, fragrant with estate flowers and surrounded by lawns with views of the vines. Air-conditioning and a log fire ensure comfort year-round. Intimacy is assured too, perhaps due to the flush of romance but possibly thanks also to the flush of the toilet from the doorless bathroom.

THE EXPERIENCE The estate offers a complete – and completely wonderful – immersion in productive rural living. A meal at Zin House is one of the highlights of Australian regional dining, with fruit, vegetables and meat all sourced on site, and menus springing from weekly sessions with founding chef and owner Kim Currie. Estate produce can also be packed into hampers for enjoying in the Shed or on the grounds.

DON’T MISS The cellar door’s signature tasting is known as the Lowe Flow. Available daily, it’s a guided tour that steers you through nine estate wines with accompanying nibbles.

FROM $350 a night; minimum two-night stay. Dani Valent

Capella Sydney

24 Loftus Street, Sydney; [phone].

An art installation in the glass-enclosed atrium features remotely operated artificial flowers that open and close above diners’ heads.

THE LOCATION Formerly the exquisite, early 20th-century sandstone-clad NSW Department of Education headquarters, Capella is at the desirable Circular Quay waterfront end of Sydney’s elongated CBD.

THE PLACE Singapore-based Capella Hotels & Resorts group lavished $300 million on creating the latest outpost of its eponymous global brand. The once rundown, grand old sandstone now comprises 192 superbly appointed, calm-toned guest rooms. Each is adorned with plush furnishings and objets d’art, showy coffee-table books (and espresso coffee machine) as well as cosy, pillow-top beds dressed in Italian Frette linen.

Capella Sydney’s pool.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

THE EXPERIENCE Unlike other deluxe Sydney hotels, the emphasis here is not on impressing guests with showstopping external views from their pricey suites, but in wowing them with all that’s on display internally. With rooms delivering only harbour glimpses (you’ll get over it), Capella fully compensates with public spaces festooned with superior artworks, including those by Indigenous artist Judy Watson, cleverly contained within the building’s original brass-framed entrance directory boards. Elsewhere, in the sleek, glass-encased atrium space, known as the hotel’s casual dining hub Aperture, is Capella’s ever-so-slightly-gimmicky, yet ultimately successful, Meadow, a Dutch-designed kinetic art installation. Suspended from the ceiling, large, electronically operated artificial flowers are synchronised to open and shut above the diners below.

DON’T MISS Factor in a fine-dining feed at inhouse Brasserie 1930, the hotel’s gorgeously-outfitted, Bentley Group-managed restaurant, the recipient of a pair of Good Food Guide toques almost immediately after opening.

FROM $750 a night. Anthony Dennis

Basalt

1100 Pinnacle Road, Canobolas; 0493 558 148.

A studio at Basalt: the king bed looks over the Central Tablelands.

THE LOCATION These three handsome studios are grafted into the basalt soil of a cherry orchard just outside Orange, four hours’ drive from Sydney.

THE PLACE Simon Rollin had the idea to showcase the far-reaching views of his parents’ commercial orchard during the COVID lockdowns. He worked with award-winning Mudgee company, Cameron Anderson Architects, and Wollongong’s Lisa Johnson Design Studio to build the three self-contained cabins, each one a light-filled space of polished concrete, spotted gum and earthy tones. Both the king bed and giant egg bath look over the Central Tablelands, there’s a fireplace for cold Orange nights and a telescope for amateur stargazing. A kitchenette with an induction cooktop comes in handy if you want to whip up a quick and cosy pasta.

The three cabins are edged by a cherry orchard.

THE EXPERIENCE Open the bottle of complimentary grenache, run the bath, and away you go. There’s an outdoor fire pit perfect for grilling marshmallows, but it’s hard to leave the soft linen of the bed, or a throw rug on the couch. Cabins are spaced far apart – it’s unlikely you’ll see other guests – and a continental breakfast is provided. Meanwhile, there are myriad cellar doors nearby (Printhie Wines is the pick for oysters and fizz), the Orange Regional Gallery, and the recently opened Hey Rosey wine bar.

DON’T MISS Lunch at Good Food Guide-hatted Schoolhouse Restaurant. The smart-casual dining room inside Orange’s old Union Bank building offers a modern European menu made for lazy afternoons.

FROM $550 a night; two-night minimum stay.

Callan Boys

Russley Country Homestead

242 Segenhoe Road, Scone; 0403 977 099.

Russley Country Homestead, built in 1894.

THE LOCATION Three minutes’ drive off the New England Highway, on the banks of the Hunter River, this rural bed and breakfast is in the Segenhoe Valley, the green, green grassy home to some major horse studs.

THE PLACE Built in 1894, Russley is a country homestead par excellence, with high ceilings, polished floors, leadlight bay windows and a broad, wrap-around verandah with Hamptons-style wingback chairs. There are five light-splashed private rooms to stay in (two with en suites, the others share a bathroom), featuring period details and views of the surrounding grounds. Four have queen beds and another, a king and two twin beds. Guests can book a room, or two, or take the entire property, which sleeps up to 12 people.

THE EXPERIENCE The first order of business is to chill. Spend a long, leisurely breakfast on the verandah, taking in the scenery and gambolling horses – Russley has about five hectares of pasture and regularly agists thoroughbreds. Later, melt into the couch in the living room and read by the fireplace. Or, if the weather allows, take a dip and laze by the pool. The owners can also arrange a tour of a local horse stud, or a trail ride in the World Heritage-listed Barrington Tops. Or scoot into Scone, a 15-minute drive away.

DON’T MISS Lunch over a glass or two at Hollydene Estate winery, 40 minutes’ drive away.

FROM $210 a night; two-night minimum stay Friday to Sunday. Tim Elliott

Lorn Rose Farm Homestead

229 Glenarvon Road, Lorn; 0448 339 446.

Historic Lorn Rose Farm Homestead, two hours’ drive from Sydney.Credit: Trish Evans Photography

THE LOCATION This idyllic, working rose farm with rustic barn is a stone’s throw from the Hunter River on the fringes of Lorn, Maitland’s prettiest village. It’s a two-hour drive from Sydney, or five kilometres from Maitland station.

THE PLACE Flanked by mature poplar and jacaranda trees, the farm’s historic 1900s homestead features an ultra-feminine, Martha Stewart-inspired aesthetic with tapestries, rose-patterned fabrics, textured linens and classic stripes. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home (sleeping nine) offers a wide, wrap-around verandah, wood fire, two freestanding baths, outdoor kitchen, pool and fire pit. Cook up a storm in the pastel green country-style kitchen, curl up with a book or commune with friendly horses over the fence.

The kitchen area’s vast windows bring in the bucolic surrounds.

THE EXPERIENCE Wake to cows grazing outside the homestead’s windows before exploring the surrounding countryside dotted with handsome heritage-listed Allan truss bridges, riverside villages, historic pubs and farming hamlets. On Thursdays, pop over to the pretty farm shop for seasonal posies of roses, dahlias, snapdragons or ranunculi.

DON’T MISS Possibly the best croissants north of the Harbour Bridge and other excellent French cakes and pastries are found at Icky Sticky in Lorn’s main street. Arrive early to avoid the disappointment of missing out.

FROM $400 a night; two-night minimum stay. Sheriden Rhodes

The Barn at Nguurruu

3221 Yass River Road, Gundaroo; 0407 286 114.

The Barn, set on a working biodynamic farm in the Southern Tablelands.Credit: Lean Timms

THE LOCATION This working, 89-hectare, biodynamic farm on the Southern Tablelands is nearly three hours’ drive south-west of Sydney.

THE PLACE Originally horse stables, The Barn is a luxury, two-bedroom retreat made from rammed earth. Beneath vaulted ceilings lies a stylish, split-level, two-bedroom tableau of tonal wood, stone and leather. The bones of the place may be old, but the cons – which include a fully equipped kitchen and heated swimming pool – are as mod as they come. Custodians Murray and Michelle Prior and their two daughters live nearby, as do a herd of Belted Galloway cattle and a glossy peep of Dorking chickens.

THE EXPERIENCE Respect for country and the Indigenous practices that have shaped it over the last 60,000 years is central to Nguurruu (meaning “camp”) and the Priors’ careful commitment to restoring the land’s function and biodiversity its heartbeat. Submit to the rhythm. A bookish nook with a cosy throw or a glass of something local and fortifying beside the fire pit under a star-spangled sky are very good places to start. Alternatively, ask Murray to show you around; he’s waited a long time to realise his rural-idyll dream and there’s nothing he likes more than sharing it.

DON’T MISS The historic village of Gundaroo, eight minutes’ drive away, is where you’ll find award-winning fine-diner Grazing Gundaroo; nearby Cork Street Cafe serves up peerless coffee and takeaway pizza.

FROM $475 a night; two-night minimum stay. Sharon Bradley

A by Adina Canberra

1 Constitution Ave, Canberra; [phone].

The centrepiece of the new Constitution Place precinct: A by Adina.

THE LOCATION Nothing is ever far away in Canberra, but this hotel is as central as it gets. Located in the business district, A by Adina is a seven-minute drive to Parliament House and a quick walk to Lake Burley Griffin.

THE PLACE Encased in a Bates Smart-designed, wedge-shaped building, the hotel is the centrepiece of the new mixed-use precinct, Constitution Place. There’s a choice of one- or two-bedroom apartments, or studio rooms, all with dreamy beds. An extra layer of luxe called the “Destination A” package provides guests with flexible check-outs, a grazing box and $25 a person to spend on snacks or drinks from the in-room bar.

THE EXPERIENCE You may find that $25 doesn’t go that far because the supplied Maybe Sammy cocktails – with names like Jasmine Negroni and Eucalyptus Gimlet – sit there in their beautiful little bottles just crying out to be emptied. The Destination A experience even provides hair straighteners. This place, with its low-lit corridors and well-stocked bar cart, makes Canberra feel sexy. And that’s saying something.

DON’T MISS Have dinner at Rebel Rebel in Acton, described by the owners as “modern Australian with a vague European lean” – but “absolutely superb tucker” would be apt, too.

FROM $218 a night. Melissa Fyfe

52 Weekends Away is published in partnership with Traveller. For more places to stay nationwide, see the full list here.

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.