Top picks for Canberra, NT and WA stays
To celebrate The Australian’s 60th birthday, we’ve selected a stellar array of accommodation from city, coast and country. Here, we feature Western Australia, Northern Territory and the ACT.
To celebrate The Australian’s 60th birthday, we’ve selected a stellar array of accommodation from city, coast and country. Here, we feature Western Australia, Northern Territory and the ACT.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
City slickers
THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH: The hotel’s much-heralded opening in 2019 marked the brand’s return to Australia after about 15 years. It has the wow factor, but in a very WA way, striving for a sense of place through its architecture, interior design, service, and food and beverage offerings. The 13m-high lobby was inspired by the Karijini gorges in the Pilbara, and about 10,000 pieces of Kimberley sandstone were used in the building. The heart of the hotel’s dining experience is Hearth Restaurant and Lounge, which has a strong focus on Indigenous ingredients. Head to Songbird Bar, too, for a splendid view of Elizabeth Quay and a sunset over the Swan River. ritzcarlton.com
COMO THE TREASURY, PERTH: History and luxury combine at this award-winning hotel in the centre of Perth. A generously spread-out inventory of 48 guestrooms and suites is arrayed across four floors within the fabric of the State Buildings, an interconnected trio of late 19th-century red brick and Kimberley stone edifices that variously served as General Post Office, Land Titles Office and Treasury departments until the complex was left vacant in 1996. West Australian architect Kerry Hill, creator of Aman Tokyo, revived the conjoined Victorian dowager piles, reinstalled myriad original features and restored mouldings and wide-planked jarrah floors. Hallways are so luxuriously wide it wouldn’t seem inconceivable if a horse-drawn carriage or a gaggle of hoop-skirted court ladies were to pass by.comohotels.com
QT, PERTH: Australian boutique hotel accommodation provider QT took its whimsical design ethos west when it built a 184-room hotel on the site of an old cinema complex on the corner of Perth’s Murray Street and Barrack Street. Those trademark quirky QT interiors feature plenty of local detailing, including jarrah timbers and wallpapers daubed with black cockatoos and wildflowers. There’s the usual costumed door staff, and restaurant Santini Grill gives local ingredients an Amalfi twist. Then there’s the hotel group’s signature super-comfy bed, diverting minibar and a smart rooftop bar with dreamy city views.qthotelsandresorts.com
Small but sweet
WONIL HOTEL, PERTH:Wonil (an Indigenous word for peppermint tree) is in a curious location – the site of a former carpark 5km from the city on the grounds of the University of Western Australia. It was designed by Kerry Hill Architects, which is fitting, given the late Perth-born Hill was one of UWA’s early architecture graduates. His trademark sustainable design features include naturally ventilated walkways, stone screens and green “walls” that filter light and noise. The 66 guestrooms are all restrained lines and palette (tan, grey, white), and balconies offer views over a rowing-boat shed and sailing club fronting the Swan River’s Matilda Bay.
WARDERS HOTEL, FREMANTLE: Hoosegow, pokey, cooler, stir or Her Majesty’s Hotel? One slang synonym best fits the World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison, “the big house”. This 1850s jail covers 6ha and processed 10,000 convict transportees before becoming a civilian prison. The old jail-keepers’ cottages are now Warders, an 11-room boutique hotel where local art, handcrafted furniture and marble bathrooms have civilised the original timbers and hewn limestone. Freo’s high-vis bolters included bushranger Moondyne Joe, the Irish Republican “Catalpa” rebels and 1990s “postcard bandit” Brenden Abbott. AC/DC’s late frontman Bon Scott did a stint here in 1963. Contemplate it all over a cocktail in the Gimlet Bar or dinner at Emily Taylor restaurant. wardershotel.com.au
The glampers
SWELL LODGE, CHRISTMAS ISLAND: This pair of canvas chalets for two are perched on the island’s northwest coast, with a wall of sliding glass doors facing the ocean and leading to a veranda that almost overhangs the cliff. The lodge treads lightly and was assembled by hand on raised platforms. The solar-powered pavilions feature odour-free composting toilets but also deliver on the luxury front, with coffee machines, king beds and gratis minibar. There’s no restaurant but a chef will happily whip up a feast for guests.swelllodge.com
SAL SALIS NINGALOO REEF: It’s hard to go past this stalwart of the glamping scene given it has set such high standards for years. There are 15 pavilion-like safari-inspired tents on elevated platforms facing the Blue Lagoon; you can rouse yourself from bed and stumble sleepily down to the water’s edge, wade in and drift over the corals of a natural aquarium. A resident turtle may even give you a flipper wave as it scuds along the sandy bottom. This is the gift of Sal Salis: unfettered access to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, an encrusted jewel along 280km of Indian Ocean shoreline. Sal Salis (meaning “salty salt”) serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lantern-lit group lodge where drinks and canapes as the sun sets is a truly unforgettable experience. salsalis.com.au
Country roads
FARMERS’ HOME HOTEL, NORTHAM: In this country town, 100km northeast of Perth, the Farmers’ Home Hotel, dating from 1866, has been lovingly restored to well beyond its former glory. It is owned by cafe chain Dome, and the coffee side of things is open into the evenings. For a tipple, try the Temperance Bar and admire a cartoon mural titled The Drunkard’s Progress, recalling the prohibition movement that shaped the town in the late 19th century. Upstairs, 16 light-filled guestrooms offer classy, country-heritage accommodation. Woollen rugs complement original Baltic pine floors, and custom-made furniture includes king-sized beds and mid-century-inspired chairs. farmershomehotel.com
Go coastal
SAMPHIRE ROTTNEST: Rottnest Island has been something of a WA secret. Likewise, the unique marsupials, quokkas, that inhabit the place (there are an estimated 10,000). Just 30 minutes by ferry from the state capital, it was long the destination of choice for WA families but the only way to secure accommodation was to chance your luck in a ballot. That all changed when luxury hotel Samphire Rottnest opened a few years ago with 98 guestrooms, lagoon-like pools and beachside dining. The relaxed coastal vibe of the property, with its use of natural materials and neutral-coloured linens, appeals to the barefoot luxury guest. Strolling stunning beaches and taking a dip in the aquamarine water are essential activities but avoid taking selfies with the quokkas, as rangers discourage feeding or touching these very cute creatures.samphirerottnest.com.au
NORTHERN TERRITORY
City slicker
DARWIN AIRPORT RESORT: Launched in December last year after a $30m upgrade, this resort combines the Novotel and Mercure hotels to offer 423 guestrooms next to Darwin International Airport. A new Olympic-plus-sized swimming pool is the main attraction, along with poolside cabanas and dining, plus an aquatic playground for youngsters. Pool villas and resort bungalows surrounded by lush tropical gardens are part of a wide accommodation inventory that elevates a stay in Darwin from pit stop to actual holiday. It’s a quick 15-minute drive into the city and complimentary airport shuttle services are available.darwinairporthotels.com.au
The glampers
BAMURRU PLAINS WILD BUSH LUXURY LODGE: The new Jabiru Retreat stands a little removed from the 10 safari bungalows and Kingfisher Suite of the original Bamurru Plains set-up. The retreat’s two stilted dwellings are connected by a walkway and share an exclusive plunge pool and outdoor lounge and dining spots, perfect perhaps for couples or a family group with older children. There’s an Aussie rustic touch in the corrugated iron ensuite, where the shower snakes up an old tree trunk, but there’s no bush slumming; hot water is instant. Located at the edge of the Mary River wetlands, this lodge is all about nature, offering twice-daily safaris, by airboat across the flood plains or by 4WD in the savanna woodlands.bamurruplains.com
LONGITUDE 131, ULURU: The Red Centre’s premier accommodation underwent a $2.5m refresh this year, reopening in March. Each of the 15 luxury tents benefited from the makeover, which included new rugs, leather tub chairs and joinery in Tasmanian blackwood. The Dune House, which encompasses the restaurant, bar and terrace, now features a showpiece work by Anangu artist Carlene Thompson from the Ernabella Arts Community in South Australia. Titled Kalaya Ngura (Emu Country), it depicts her family’s country near Kanpi in the Western APY Lands.longitude131.com.au
Country roads
BULLO RIVER STATION: Absolute isolation is the drawcard at this vast, 162,000ha property 800km from Darwin. The former home of Sarah Henderson and her family is now part of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and the latest addition to the Luxury Lodges of Australia portfolio. It has a strong focus on biodiversity, and supports 32 mammal species plus 67 reptile, 20 frog, six fish and 184 bird varieties. Accommodation is in 12 guestrooms with Sibella Court interiors, and guests can help themselves to the bar – a glass of rose, perhaps, while lounging by the pool? Birdwatching and croc-spotting are high on the list of daily adventures.bulloriver.com.au
Regional gem
FINNISS RIVER LODGE: Meeting the cattle while sipping chilled white wine and nibbling canapes is one of the experiences at Finniss River Lodge, a 22,250ha property about 90 minutes’ drive southwest of Darwin. Accommodation is in a string of six luxury suites, each a spacious airconditioned sanctuary of polished bluegum floors with king bed, velvet armchairs, smart TV and private balcony. To dine, drink and socialise, guests stroll to a communal zone with leather lounges, dining hall and bar. A wall of French doors leads to a vast hardwood deck where a sparkling swimming pool offers welcome relief from the Territory’s heat. There’s action aplenty on farm trails and waterways.finnissriverlodge.com.au
ACT
City slickers
OVOLO NISHI, NEW ACTON: When Hotel Hotel first opened in Canberra in 2013 it was a line-in-the-sand moment for the nation’s capital. It marked its transition from much-maligned city that everyone fled on the weekend to the start of an interesting hospitality scene that drew people in. The luxury hotel, the culmination of work by 600 architects, designers and artists, has a striking exterior and a lobby that leans into the capital’s winter ambience and its subzero temperatures. There is a roaring fire as well as cosy rooms and excellent food. Hotel group Ovolo bought it in 2018 and has maintained its cool vibes, adding its own stamp with cutting-edge vegetarian restaurant Monster Bar and Kitchen.ovolohotels.com
EAST HOTEL, KINGSTON: Located in Canberra’s inner south and just a few minutes’ drive from Parliament House, this design-focused property was opened in 2012 by siblings Dion and Dan Bisa, who wanted to offer something different to guests beyond the usual nondescript business hotels. They have achieved this through inviting interiors, dedicated services and three venues onsite that attract locals as well as visitors. There is Muse, which combines food, wine and books; Joe’s Bar, which does excellent cocktails and pizza; and Agostinis, an authentic Italian restaurant inspired by their mother Marisa’s love of cooking. The 140 guestrooms range from studios to two-bedroom family apartments. easthotel.com.au
HOTEL KURRAJONG, BARTON: Built to plans by commonwealth chief architect John Smith Murdoch, Hotel Kurrajong, known first as Hostel No 2, opened in 1926 just when Parliament House, by the same designer, was being completed. It became the home away from home for Labor MPs and most famously the 16th prime minister, Ben Chifley, who preferred it to the Lodge. The heritage-listed hotel is an art deco delight, with 147 refurbished guestrooms, 26 in the heritage wing. History buffs can book the Chifley Experience, which includes breakfast in the Chifley Bar and Grill followed by the 700m walk the prime minister took each day to his office at Old Parliament House, now the Museum of Australian Democracy.hotelkurrajong.com.au
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