Best places to stay in Victoria, Tasmania and SA
To celebrate The Australian’s 60th birthday, we’ve selected a stellar array of accommodation from city, coast and country. Here, we feature Victoria, Tasmania and SA.
To celebrate The Australian’s 60th birthday, we’ve selected a stellar array of accommodation options from city, coast and country. Here, we feature Victoria, Tasmania and SA.
VICTORIA
City slicker
LE MERIDIEN MELBOURNE: This hotel rose from the rubble of the Palace Theatre at the top end of Bourke St, and the art deco facade is all that remains of the former 1912-built building. Its European elegance, modern art program and mid-century design feels like an inspired fit for the city’s entertainment precinct. Glass sliding doors lead to a dazzling lobby of polished stone, terrazzo and Grecian fluted columns. The all-day cafe bar Intermission riffs on the MGM cinema that was here in the 50s, and a spiralling, balustrade staircase descends to Dolly, a sparkling, subterranean restaurant heavy on 30s Hollywood nostalgia. Don’t miss the resort-like rooftop pool deck, Le Splash. There are 235 guestrooms, including 14 suites. marriott.com
Small and sweet
UNITED PLACES, MELBOURNE: This tiny three-storey surprise package in fashionable South Yarra is opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens, so a great green parkland on the doorstep is a lovely bonus. The spacious accommodation features compact kitchens and laundries, plus high-end design flourishes. Street-level Matilda 159 is the “in-house diner”, helmed by superstar chef Scott Pickett, which puts a new spin on the concept of room service. There’s a clear connection to neighbourhood and a concierge service well-versed in recommendations off the usual tourist radar. unitedplaces.com.au
Regional gem
HOTEL ERNEST, BENDIGO: The Ernest is a boutique hotel in a historic bank building erected in 1864 and perfectly plonked parkside on View Street. Original features, including a cellar, bank vault and a vintage bullet hole in a thick glass window, blend with modern luxury furniture and a stunning array of good Australian art. Guesthouse-style hospitality is presented in a chic five-star package, so charming it’s tempting to linger in the lounge after a divine breakfast of fruit, local croissants and granola. hotelbendigo.com.au
Country roads
DAIRY FLAT LODGE & FARM, DAYLESFORD: This outpost of the much-celebrated Lake House boutique hotel and restaurant at Daylesford, northwest of Melbourne, sits on a diverse 15ha estate. Up to 12 guests are accommodated in six ensuite doubles on a single house party booking. There’s an olive grove, small vineyard, woodlands, country walks, cooking classes, spring-fed dam for a spot of trout fishing and neighbourhood experiences. Add a cedar hot-tub, concierge, on-site bakehouse, country-style breakfasts and use of electric bikes for unstructured excursions. dairyflatfarmdaylesford.com.au
MOUNT STURGEON COTTAGES, GRAMPIANS: Building on the success of their accommodation and dining destination, the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, the Myer family has revamped the nearby deluxe Mount Sturgeon one-bedroom cottages, just 3km from town. Built to accommodate farm workers in the 1850s, the cottages are set in seclusion inside the biodiversity reserve that abuts Grampians National Park. Those labourers could hardly imagine the scene now: voluptuous leather lounges, linen curtains, jarrah floorboards and eye-catching pendant lights. In a quirky, country touch, ensuites are inside water tanks, tiled in rectangular mosaics, with luxury fittings and generous vanity basins. royalmail.com.au
JACKALOPE, MERRICKS NORTH: Opened in 2017 on what used to be considered the wrong side of the Mornington Peninsula (Portsea is a good 45 minutes away), this avant-garde hotel is like walking inside the brain of its owner, Louis Li, who was just 28 when he opened its doors. Chinese-born Li came to Melbourne to study film-making at RMIT and fell in love with the city. His family background in hotels and his obsession with modern art and design have all combined to create this edgy luxury property as well as winery and two restaurants: Rare Hare and Doot Doot Doot. jackalopehotels.com
Go coastal
THE CONTINENTAL, SORRENTO: Everyone loves a comeback and few have been as well received as the return of this limestone-clad landmark. Deftly designed by Woods Bagot, the reimagined 145-year-old hotel swirls together seaside motifs, heritage restoration and splashes of art deco style. The Conti’s eating venues range from fine-diner Audrey’s to the light-filled Atrium, and The Promenade, an al fresco spot on Ocean Beach Road. There are also three additional bars and a beer garden. Guests stay in the elegant 108-room InterContinental hotel. sorrento.intercontinental.com
The glamper
METUNG HOT SPRINGS, GIPPSLAND: Guests who bed down in these safari-style pavilions at Gippsland Lakes have the region’s hot springs literally on tap. Two wine barrels sunk into the deck of the tents can be filled with geothermal water at the flick of a switch. A recycled timber breakfast bar and a couple of plump beanbags complete the outdoor setting, ringed by a brushwood screen. Inside is an AH Beard four-poster bed and tiled ensuite. Rotate through the emerald waters of the bathing pools, the Scandinavian sauna, the thermal water showers and, if you dare, the cold plunge pool. metunghotsprings.com
TASMANIA
City slickers
THE TASMAN, HOBART: As the first of Marriott’s top-tier Luxury Collection to debut in Australia, this is a splendid hotel. It knits together a trio of buildings in the historic parliament precinct: an early 19th-century former hospital, art deco government offices and the contemporary Pavilion building. Interiors reflect these different eras and attention to detail is exceptional, from the modern light fittings to the timber-lined lifts, with tactile handrails retaining the scent of a recently sawn log. A drink in the mysterious Mary Mary bar is a must, and signature restaurant Peppina serves up tastes of the Mediterranean. marriott.com
MACq 01, HOBART: On the waterfront on gorgeous Hunter Street, just across from its glamorous sister property the Henry Jones Art Hotel, MACq 01 offers a journey into the history and psyche of Tasmania, without even leaving the building. Stuffed with local artefacts, art and references to the cold-climate warriors who have made the state what it is, this is a hotel that has a story to tell. Each of the 114 guestrooms and suites is named after a notable Tasmanian whose life story is told on the door. Study those intriguing portals or take the guided tour that runs through the highlights. Try a whisky tasting in Evolve bar, followed by a perfectly grilled steak at Old Wharf restaurant. macq01.com.au
Small but sweet
MOSS HOTEL, HOBART: As the name heralds, the great green landscape of the Apple Isle is at the core of this Georgian-era warehouse turned bijou hotel spread over two adjoining buildings at Salamanca Place. Expect a palette of natural shades such as forest green and sage, slate and rust, plus original timber beams and convict-cut sandstone, across 41 smart guestrooms in categories with evocative names such as Bower and Grove. The centralised location is terrific and collaborations with local design studios, artisans and providores celebrate all things Tasmanian. mosshotel.com.au
Regional gem
PEPPERS SILO HOTEL, LAUNCESTON: A row of four 1959 silos was reimagined to create this hotel beside the Tamar River, just by Cataract Gorge. Of the 108 guestrooms, only 52 are inside the silos; the remaining 56 are in a north-facing tower. Fortunately, interiors have plenty of personality, from Waverley Mill blankets arranged artfully on plump white beds to desks of ironbark and stringybark recycled from 1930s woolstores. Room tones are warm and rich with charcoal carpets and acid-green, velvety chaises and armchairs, and the curved walls and cave-like cosiness ensure solid sleeps. all.accor.com
Island idylls
SATELLITE ISLAND: Lying low and lovely in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel off Tasmania’s southeast coast, this magical 34ha isle is available to private parties of a maximum eight guests across a stylish summer house on a hill, boatshed by the water-lapped jetty and luxurious bell tent, all with seafarer touches and salvaged finds. There’s a wildly ethereal end-of-the-world feel, with coves and cliffs, pristine bushland, walking and kayaking, birdwatching, oyster-shucking and a cosy environment for lazing about. Catering is DIY but why not splurge on a private chef to putter across in a dinghy from the mainland and rustle up meals. satelliteisland.com.au
KITTAWA LODGE, KING ISLAND: Seachangers Aaron Suine and Nick Stead relocated from Sydney to construct this rather quixotic property on land previously occupied by cattle. The two self-contained guest villas face the sea and are cleverly positioned for privacy. They comprise a living and dining room – including fireplace, fully appointed kitchen and comfortable lounge suites – plus a roomy bedroom and a bathroom with arguably the most gorgeously located bathtub in Australia. Fastidious attention to detail means they’re equipped with Dyson hairdryers, wellington boots, jackets, Akubras and local art – while the fridge is filled with Tasmanian wines, King Island Dairy cheeses and generous brekkie provisions. kittawalodge.com
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
City slickers
SOFITEL ADELAIDE: French panache is applied lightly at these swish city digs, with an impressionist’s brush rather than a plasterer’s trowel. The ground floor lobby features a cosy champagne bar, and a meandering red chandelier flows above the room like a river of wine, referencing Adelaide’s cultural links with Bordeaux. Gallic touches are turned up a notch in the level nine Garcon Bleu. The 90-seat brasserie-style restaurant is straight out of Paris, with gleaming brass railings, mirrored pillars, large-format art in the style of Matisse and Picasso and elegant pale blue velvet seating. Parquetry flooring, marble and the black-and-white photographs of local snapper Drew Lenman are features of the 251 guestrooms and suites. sofitel.accor.com
HOTEL INDIGO ADELAIDE MARKETS: This 145-room property launched in 2021 as an Australian first for the Indigo brand, which focuses on neighbourhood cred, design and art. The palette is defiantly jazzy, with an emphasis on hot pink, referencing two-term SA premier Don Dunstan’s shorts, his unforgettable fashion statement for social diversity and justice. Adelaide Central Markets are practically on the doorstep, Chinatown is within cooee, and rooftop Merrymaker bar is as joyous as it sounds when wattleseed negronis and Coffin Bay oysters do the rounds. ihg.com
Regional gems
SEQUOIA LODGE, ADELAIDE HILLS: Only 20 minutes from downtown Adelaide, Sequoia Lodge is poised above the Piccadilly Valley’s poetic tapestry of forest and vines. Its 14 luxury suites, in the grounds of the historic Mount Lofty House hotel, are surely some of the most technologically advanced in the country. Control pads by the bed, in the hall and bathroom operate blinds, lights, music, streaming and temperature. The television rises from the credenza at the push of a keypad, and there’s a “moon window” above the bed for stargazing. The mood is cosy, a palette of stone, wood and leather anchoring the suites to the bush outside. There are trails to explore, meals to savour in the lounge and picnics to be had. And then there’s the spa. sequoialodge.com.au
THE LOUISE, BAROSSA VALLEY: Revamped in 2022 and sitting pretty in the winegrowing valley’s green and gold countryside, this Luxury Lodges of Australia member, hunkered amid vines and folds of green and gold, has developed a fine reputation for its food and personalised service. Dine, recline and repeat is the message here, snug in villa-style suites, enjoying sweeping vistas, and gathering at the main lodge for meals in Appellation restaurant and pampering at the spa. Hot-air balloons drift past, kookaburras chortle away, glasses of shiraz appear as if by magic. thelouise.com.au
Small but sweet
CABN X, SEPPELTSFIELD, BAROSSA: Pod pioneer CABN is slowly populating South Australia’s wine regions, with several upscale iterations in the McLaren Vale and a new site just opened in the Adelaide Hills. In the Barossa, esteemed vineyard Seppeltsfield is home to four of the little eco-cabins ideal for couples. They are off-grid, with solar power and an on-site treatment system to recycle water, but hardly remote, with the valley’s many pleasures on the doorstep. Mod cons range from an indoor gas fireplace, sauna and compact kitchen with coffee machine to an outdoor firepit and Weber barbecue. Time to open a bottle of red. cabn.life
THE CRAFERS HOTEL, ADELAIDE HILLS: One of the oldest pubs in South Australia, the Crafers was once a ragtag watering hole frequented by hard-living loggers and the odd bushranger. In the 21st century it is better known for its oo-la-la French restaurant and epic 10,000-strong wine list. The seven guestrooms upstairs have high ceilings, underfloor heating and smart bathrooms stocked with Aesop unguents. The hotel is especially lovely in winter, with log fires blazing in the bar and the sun streaming into the conservatory-style bistro, where steak frites is the order of the day. crafershotel.com.au
Island idylls
SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE, KANGAROO ISLAND: One of the most hotly anticipated revivals in Australian hospitality history, SOL 2.0 emerged triumphant in December last year from the ashes of the 2019-20 bushfires. The $55m rebuild resulted in 23 guest suites strung along the coast plus an exclusive owner’s pavilion with two plunge pools perched high on a clifftop. The Great Room, with its elegant, curved sofas and suspended fireplace, is identical to its predecessor, while the sculpture of Sunshine the kangaroo is back in the upper lounge. There are cinematic views, too, from the restaurant. It’s good to be back. southernoceanlodge.com.au
WANDER PODS, KANGAROO ISLAND: The four Wander pods on KI’s north coast are decidedly off-grid, positioned two hours from Penneshaw via an ever-diminishing network of empty roads. This is a smart retreat, stylishly fitted out, mostly in moody blacks and charcoal. All along the front, a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows transforms the pod into an oversized camera trained on the sea and dramatic coastline. The log fire is set and ready to strike, and in the bedroom next door the king bed is dressed in on-trend crumpled linen. Stock up en route, as it’s a long drive to the corner shop if you run out of milk. wander.com.au
The glamper
IKARA SAFARI TENT, WILPENA POUND RESORT: Jaw-dropping night skies are just outside the canvas door of your safari tent at this secluded outpost in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. Part of Wilpena Pound Resort, the 15 ensuite safari tents are airconditioned, making them a year-round proposition, with the bonus of a firepit for chilly nights. Two are designed for a family of four, and each is equipped with tea and coffee-making facilities. There’s dining available at the onsite restaurant, with Indigenous ingredients taking a leading role, and choices aplenty on the activities front, including Aboriginal cultural experiences, guided tours, hiking and scenic flights. wilpenapound.com.au
