Hotel deals deliver the ultimate city staycation
Travel + Luxury has compiled a collection of enticing packages to tempt readers back to Australia’s metropolitan centres.
For Australian tourism, the past year has been the toughest on record. That hasn’t stopped the hotel and hospitality industry from raising the staycation stakes, opening luxe new properties and offering incentives for locals to check in and linger.
Industry experts have been vocal in pointing out the latest government initiative of discounting flights to regional centres does little to help struggling CBD businesses, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. In response, Travel + Luxury has compiled a collection of enticing hotel packages to tempt our readers back to Australia’s metropolitan centres, where you can enjoy special experiences such as scenic flights, all-day pampering and chef masterclasses.
SYDNEY
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Sydney’s Four Seasons Hotel needs little introduction. Just steps from Circular Quay, with views that make the most jaded local swoon, it serves as a reminder of the magic of Australia’s largest city. For those who still need convincing, the property has up to 15 per cent off rates until June 30 for bookings made at least seven days in advance. Alternatively, take a staycay to extreme luxe levels in the Presidential Suite, which offers exclusive access to a portfolio of Extraordinary Experiences.
Consider the Champagne & Lobster Cruise, which takes guests across the harbour at sunset aboard a glamorous yacht, flute of Laurent-Perrier in hand. A chef prepares lobster four ways before the boat returns passengers to their water-facing accommodation. Alternatively, rise with the sun for a private dawn yoga class atop (yes, atop) the Harbour Bridge, then choose a lunch location: the Hunter Valley via a scenic helicopter ride, or on the sand at Jervis Bay via seaplane to the south coast.
The deals Rooms from $330 a night. Champagne & Lobster Cruise from $6470 for two; Jervis Bay from $10,380; Hunter Valley from $5278; Bridge yoga from $6836; Presidential Suite accommodation not included.
Crown Towers Sydney
Sydney’s newest hotel doesn’t shy away from extravagances. Take, for example, the Preciosa crystal-draped chandelier in the marbled lobby, or the suites with dreamy Harbour Bridge and Opera House views. Each room in the twisting 275m-high building is individual in layout. Even better is the Crystal Villa, with niceties such as private terrace, 24/7 butler service, a rain shower with multiple-massage settings, a tub for two, and Frette linens as soft as marshmallows. The only incentive to catch the ear-popping elevator downwards is to preen in a cabana beside the infinity pool, possibly the sexiest in Sydney. Enjoy it following a treatment in the gem-like spa, which has an Aqua Retreat equipped with a vitality pool, infra-red sauna and “experience shower” with nozzles at all angles. Also on site are 14 restaurants and bars, including Michelin-starred Clare Smyth’s flagship Australian eatery (Core), Sydney’s first Nobu outlet, multi-hatted Ross and Sunny Lusted’s Woodcut, and Alessandro Pavoni’s upscale Italian establishment a’Mare; if dapper bowtied waiters don’t win you over, tableside pesto service will.
The deal The three-night Stay a While package includes accommodation, a bottle of champagne, two 60-minute massages, $100 poolside credit and daily breakfast; from $2967, twin-share.
CANBERRA
QT Canberra
Having spent much of the past 12 months living, working and sleeping beside our pets, many of us consider the ideal staycation one that includes madame or master pooch. The QT Canberra not only welcomes furry friends, but has packages to pamper them as much as human guests. Doggo’s minibar is packed with treats, and a day spa awaits with hours of grooming. Your turn? The hotel’s Check Into Extraordinary series includes a romance-filled stay: think champagne, flowers and a grazing platter of aphrodisiac-laden foods. For your next meal, consult the hotel’s executive chef to prepare a three-course dinner, served in your guestroom or suite, with sommelier-matched wines. There’s no need to dine out for breakfast, either, with morning delicacies delivered to quarters.
The deals Pup-friendly packages from $405 a room a night; Lovers packages from $889 a suite; Culinary Extravagance from $1589 a suite a night, two-night minimum.
HOBART
Mona Pavilions
Each of the eight “luxury dens” at Hobart’s world-leading Museum of Old and New Art bears the name, and tells the story, of an Australian artist or architect, from Walter Burley Griffin to Arthur Boyd. While design is unique across the portfolio, shared features include patios overlooking the Derwent River, minibars stocked with wines made a few metres from your bed, and shared access to a glass-encased heated infinity pool, perfect for all-season swims. Plenty of memorable perks await on a two-night stay, from curator-led private museum tours to exclusive dinners — the kind only a lot of money can buy. This price tag covers a lavish one-on-one meal with Mona owner David Walsh at his acclaimed restaurant The Source. It also includes lunch in experiential dining room Faro, a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Moorilla Estate winemaking, and perhaps a hit of tennis with Walsh before you depart.
The deal Dinner with David package is from $50,000 a person, including private jet transfers from Sydney or Melbourne, two nights’ accommodation, meals and tours.
culturalattractionsofaustralia.com
BRISBANE
W Brisbane
If you want your mini-break to combine everything wonderful about Queensland — laid-back city life, vibrant reefs, quirky art and quiet beaches — check in to W Brisbane. This hotel, located beside the city’s snaking river, offers a creative ode to the capital, from its enormous installation of diamante flip-flops in the lobby to the gilded bar and Daintree-inspired decor of the top-floor Extreme Wow Suite. Ease into your stay with chef-prepared petit fours and flutes of Veuve Clicquot, before your seaplane provides a taste of the Coral Sea. The hotel’s All Reefed Up package whisks you north to Lady Elliot Island for a day of snorkelling (or boating) with turtles and manta rays, followed by lunch in the sun. Return to the hotel to enjoy add-ons such as cocktails in the lofty Wet Deck overlooking South Bank, followed by dinner in paddock-to-plate restaurant Three Blue Ducks. Then enjoy a full day of pampering in the Away Spa: the In-Excess ritual earns its name.
The deal All Reefed Up package from $1209 a person a night, minimum two nights, includes accommodation and seaplane transfers.
Emporium Hotel South Bank
Pack the suitcase and prepare to make the neighbours jealous. Your ride to the Emporium is a luxe Maserati Levante. There are 143 guestrooms on offer, but why not splurge on the 786sq m Parklands Suite? It comes complete with baby grand piano, a 15m infinity pool overlooking the Brisbane River from the 21st floor, an open gas fireplace, private bar and two Vintec wine fridges stocked with top-shelf beverages. The hotel’s four restaurants and bars compete with the suite’s full kitchen stocked with Gaggenau appliances at your, or your assigned private chef’s, disposal, with space to entertain 10 inside or out on the patio. After a soiree, indulge in a day of pampering: start with guided sunrise yoga or pilates on the balcony, a champagne breakfast, then an in-room massage and a helicopter ride to top it off. The Spicers Peak Lodge experience takes guests by helicopter into the Sunshine Coast hinterland for a three-course meal and overnight stay before heading home.
The deal Spicers Peak Lodge Experience from $1764, plus room rate ($8900 a night for the Parklands Suite).
MELBOURNE
Lancemore Crossley St
One of the newest additions to Melbourne’s CBD lodgings channels the city’s creative spirit, offering accommodation and experiences just as colourful as its laneway location. Begin your staycation with a glass of wine on the rooftop terrace, from where the theatres synonymous with the district can be glimpsed. The Lancemore regularly partners with touring performances, offering stay-and-play packages, including theatre tickets (we hear Moulin Rouge is coming up), pre-show drinks and discounted rooms. Before strolling to an event, enjoy an early dinner in the privacy of the Romeo or Juliet suite, with menus delivered to the door by one of Australia’s top-rated restaurants. The Longrain meal includes three Asian-inspired courses, each paired with Lindenderry wines. With the right timing, guests can fill their staycation with yoga, meditation and mindfulness workshops at one of the Lancemore group’s Wellness Weekends, set to appear at Crossley St in the near future.
The deal Longrain package from $509 a night, twin-share, in the Juliet Suite.
United Places
At a time when exclusivity is the world’s greatest luxury, United Places shines. This 12-suite South Yarra property feels more like a home than a hotel, and one kitted out by some of the world’s top designers. Think, a Redondo sofa by Patricia Urquiola, a Scape armchair by Grant Featherston, organic cotton sheets and Szilvassy ceramics, all complemented by the leafy setting opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens. In the parklands, you and your companion can join two friends for two hours of guided “forest bathing”, or shinrin-yoku, the (fully clothed) Japanese art of reconnecting with nature, offered as part of a Reboot Package. Stress levels lowered and mood boosted, return for a private masterclass with chef Scott Pickett, whose Matilda 159 restaurant occupies the ground floor of the hotel. Learn to make gnocchi or tarte tartin, then enjoy a three-course meal with matched wines; breakfast, delivered to rooms, also comes courtesy of Pickett’s team. Be sure to call upon your butler, who can organise everything from in-room massages to private picnics.
The deals Reboot Package from $885 for two nights, twin-share, including forest bathing for four people; Matilda 159 Masterclass from $1044, twin-share, minimum two nights.
ADELAIDE
EoS by SkyCity
Guests can check in to this freshly minted hotel and do as little or as much as they like. If the former sounds like the tonic, book the Grace Suite, which has a private sauna and gym. Ask the butler to unpack your bags and run a bath with a selection of aromatherapy oils. The relaxation doesn’t end there. Slink to the spa for rituals lasting from an hour to the best part of the day, some with Australian native ingredients such as blue cypress and wattleseed scrub, or Kakadu plum and cucumber body souffle. For more edible delights, the SkyCity complex is home to nine restaurants and bars, including the rooftop Sol, featuring hard-to-beat views over the River Torrens and a menu celebrating local produce; diners are advised the distance every ingredient has travelled to their plate. Back in the villa, a mixologist prepares cocktails to order. What’s the perfect nightcap?
The deal A Recharge Package includes two 30-minute spa treatments and breakfast, from $799, twin-share, in an Allure room.
PERTH
COMO The Treasury
With restaurants, cafes, bars and a spa, Perth’s 140-year-old State Buildings are a luxurious lifestyle cocoon. Visitors neither want, nor need, to leave thanks to the on-site COMO The Treasury hotel, which has rooms and suites bigger than most city apartments. If the goal of a staycation is to unwind and reconnect, look no further than the Discover COMO Shambhala package. Two 75-minute massages sweeten the deal, but make a day of it and add a marine mineral facial, body wrap, manicure, pedicure and Indian head massage. Breakfast at Post restaurant is included, featuring indulgences (peach Bellini, anyone?) as well as nutritionally calibrated items from the COMO Shambhala Cuisine menu. It would be remiss not to add a meal at David Thompson’s Thai restaurant Long Chim, or a degustation at Wildflower, regularly rated the city’s top dining experience thanks to its use of daily foraged and farmed produce in menus mirroring the six seasons of the Indigenous Noongar calendar.
The deal Discover COMO Shambhala package from $990 a night, twin-share.
