HotelClub Hotel and Travel Blog &#187; Australia & NZ

24 Hours in Canberra

Ian — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:46:55 +0000

Fact #1: some national capitals are lame. Fact #2: some purpose-built national capitals are even lamer. Not so Canberra. Sure, the administrative heart of Australia teems with politicos, bureaucrats, lobbyists and cub reporters but it is not all dull parliamentary machinations in the Garden City. For visitors with a day or more to spare, Canberra and the ACT unfurl a parade of fine museums, cultural hot spots, landmarks, stellar restaurants, pubs, bars, tidy villages and a trove of natural wonders.

Photo credit

Lake Burley Griffin

Canberra’s most iconic geographical feature may be artificial but the recreation potential of Burley Griffin is most definitely not. Walk it, bike it, row it and make some time for the National Carillon on Aspen Island.

Where to stay: Hyatt Canberra – A Park Hyatt Hotel

National Museum of Australia

Is it the best museum in Australia? Arguably yes. For Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles and exhibits on Aboriginal heritage, reason alone to visit the ACT.

Where to stay: Diamant Boutique Hotel Canberra

Australian National Botanic Gardens

Frolic with flora at the foremost botanical garden complex in the country.

Where to stay: Rydges Lakeside Hotel Canberra

Australian War Memorial

The Anzac Parade opens on to a tasteful and top-drawer national war memorial and museum devoid of over-the-top, rah-rah histrionics. Powerful stuff.

Where to stay: All Seasons Olims Hotel Canberra

National Film and Sound Archive

Audio and cinephiles take note: the National Film and Sound Archive has a spectacular collection that makes history come alive.

Where to stay: BreakFree Capital Tower Canberra

National Gallery of Australia

You need more than 24 hours to take in some 120,000 works of art but give it a shot. From Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art to a marvelous sculpture garden, the National Gallery is a triumph.

Where to stay: Rydges Capital Hill Canberra

Parliament House

One of the most expensive government projects ever built, the Parliament of Australia is impossible to miss and deserves a bit of your time.

Where to stay: Forrest Hotel & Apartments Canberra

Namadgi National Park

It behooves Canberra visitors to explore the wonderful ACT if they can manage it. Namadgi National Park is a good place to start, since it covers almost half of the territory.

Where to stay: Country Comfort Greenway

Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre

Finally, a science museum that enthralls adults as much as wee ones.

Where to stay: Burbury Hotel Canberra

Black Mountain Tower

One of the best panoramas in the country, bar none, is from the very top of Black Mountain Tower. Grab a perch and point and click to your heart’s content.

Where to stay: Novotel Hotel Canberra

Melbourne’s Hipster Food Scene

Ian — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:47:44 +0000

Seafood tacos. Pulled pork. Sliders and onion rings. Any number of deep fried ice-creams from the 80s. Whether it’s being dished from the hatch of a food truck or placed on the pass of a pop up laneway restaurant, the hipster food revolution has certainly hit Melbourne right in the sweet spot. Harking from the likes of Brooklyn, Portland, San Francisco and even Korea, this often slapdash and retro-revivalist trend has seen Modern Australian and à la carte fare take a back seat of late.

From the Taco Truck serving chicken and fish tacos around Carlton and Brunswick to the more refined Cali-Mex fare of Mamasita in the city or the Newmarket Hotel in St Kilda, the options have just climbed a notch from pub grub, pizza slices and late night kebab purchases.

This hipster foodie trend conveniently arrives in tandem with the advent of the “serious cocktail” revival. Chez Regine, Polly and 1806 areally lead the pack here, but anyone who’s been to Melbourne knows you can’t flick a cocktail olive without hitting at least 10 secret bars in the process.

Veal schnitzel sandwich in St Kilda – Photo credit

Mamasita
1/11 Collins Street

Debunking the bad rap Mexican often gets, this is authenticity at its best, and the truffle quesadilla sets the standard pretty high.

Where to stay: Sofitel Melbourne On Collins Hotel

Newmarket Hotel
34 Inkerman Street, St Kilda

A modern fusion take on Cali-Mex cuisine with fruity cocktails and dishes like Wagyu brisket, wood-roasted chicken and the tequila lime sorbet.

Where to stay: Cosmopolitan Boutique Hotel Melbourne

Los Amates Mexican Kitchen
34 Johnston Street

Still going strong after nine years, the décor may be Day of the Dead, but the food certainly doesn’t require any resuscitation.

Where to stay: Radisson On Flagstaff Gardens Melbourne

The Brix
412 Brunswick Street

Achingly hip but palatable due to the extraordinarily constructed fare, things just got very molecular.

Where to stay: The Langham Hotel Melbourne

Chez Regine
270 Russell Street

A 191 whiskey strong menu, but don’t let this intimidate you. The bartenders aren’t averse to a little handholding for newcomers to the brown stuff.

Where to stay: Rydges Hotel Melbourne

Australia: The Star and Crown Casino Food Scene

Ian — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:29:39 +0000

Is the casino culinary scene in Australia on the verge of a cataclysmic paradigm shift, whereby it begins to, at last and finally, mimic the best of the best in Las Vegas (or, indeed, the best of the best in Melbourne and Sydney)? Is it possible that in the foreseeable future local epicures will wine and dine at the Star and Crown on purpose? Maybe. Just maybe.

David Chang – Photo credit

At minimum, casino food is no longer utilitarian fuel to mindlessly expend on violent mood swings at the blackjack table. Like the casinos themselves – sorry, leisure and entertainment precincts – the food has aspirations. Star chefs get more face time and marquee exposure than table games and performers. Indeed, go on the Star or Crown website and it is difficult to even find evidence that either is in the casino business at all. Slots and poker may make up the lion’s share of profits but management wants you to know that the hottest chef in New York City is in the house.

Momofuku Seiōbo
The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Level G

That chef is David Chang of course. The portly purveyor of upmarket pork buns got his start at a narrow noodle bar on the East Side in 2004 and soon became the talk of Manhattan. Chang’s inventive and playful takes on ramen, cereal milk and rice, yes, humble rice, have won him accolades from diners and the culinary establishment. One of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for 2010, Seiōbo is Chang’s first Momofuku foray outside of Manhattan.

Where to stay: Astral Towers at The Star

The Atlantic
The Riverside at Crown

Donovan Cooke is back in Melbourne. The Yorkshire-born chef behind the legendary Ondine and former Michel Roux and Marco Pierre White apprentice now has the budget, staff and tools to indulge his culinary creativity. Alas, the “ocean to plate” aim of The Atlantic is rather straightforward but impressive nonetheless. Unimaginably fresh seafood in brawny, masculine, casino-style portions, with prices to match.

Where to stay: Crown Metropol Southbank Melbourne

Osteria Balla
The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Level G Harbourside

Osteria Balla’s tony, breezy waterfront locale on Pyrmont Bay is arguably the best amuse-bouche in all of Sydney. This is Stefano Manfredi’s kick at the casino restaurant can. Happily, the chef’s return to Sydney finds him in the same culinary spirit and ethos as back in the day at Restaurant Manfredi. As a result, expect unfussy Med takes on good, seasonal ingredients. We’re just not sure about the iPad wine list.

Where to stay: Astral Residences at The Star Sydney

Sydney City Guide

Bistro Guillaume
The Riverside at Crown

Brontosaurus-T-bones and jumbo prawns may be all well and good for some but in order for casinos to step it up in the restaurant department, they need to focus on refinement. Enter Bistro Guillaume. Many a chef and restaurateur desires to recreate the plebian civility of the Parisian neighbourhood bistro but few pull it off. Either the décor is gimmicky or the menu a total miss – or both. Thankfully owner Guillaume Brahimi and chef Graeme McLaughlin, late of The Fat Duck, get most of the important details right.

Where to stay: Crown Towers Hotel Melbourne

Discover the Wine Regions of New Zealand

Ian — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:29:24 +0000

New Zealand’s rise as a producer of sensitive, nuanced, quality wines has given the country a toehold in the global oenophile and food tourism trade – a coveted sector indeed. The New World star has consistently managed to parlay a mega-diverse, microclimate-rich environment into varietal success and, moreover, burrowed a healthy niche in the shadow of wine giant Australia in the process. New Zealand’s prodigious strides with the likes of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir have gained notoriety with top critics, discerning collectors and carousing bon vivants alike. Happily, the country’s ardent and intrepid producers hardly limit themselves to this notable trinity.

The wine regions of New Zealand extend the entire length and breadth of the country, from Northland to Otago. As a land of stunning multiplicity, wine producers of different stripes cover vastly contrasting territories. For the Bacchanalian traveller, it’s a wildly exciting ride.

Marlborough sunset – Photo credit

Nelson

Nelson crowns the South Island, just northwest of Marlborough. The pocket wine region is home to about two dozen small-batch family producers. Don’t be too quick to judge on size, however. Nelson Rieslings, Gewürztraminers and Pinot Gris have garnered major kudos and the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc ain’t half bad either.

Where to stay: The Mudcastle B&B Nelson

Nelson City Guide

Wairarapa

No trip to New Zealand is complete without a visit to the sublime national capital. Fortunately, Wellington has Wairarapa, a proximate wine hub where vineyard-hoppers go to swirl, sniff, sip, savor and spit. The photogenic area is home to sub-regions like Gladstone, Martinborough, Masterton and Opaki, all of which excel at craft Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Where to stay: Bolton Hotel Wellington

Wellington City Guide

Auckland

New Zealand’s premier metropolitan area is a vibrant wine dynamo with a singular gem in Waiheke Island. A short ferry ride from Auckland, the popular holiday spot boasts a Mediterranean climate most amiable to top-shelf Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Where to stay: Breakfast On The Beach Lodge Auckland Waiheke Island

Auckland City Guide

Central Otago

The most southerly wine region on the planet is close to the bottom of the South Island. More importantly, however, is the fact that Central Otago is the most vertical regional producer in New Zealand. A propitious altitude and continental microclimate makes for stellar, exemplary Pinot Noir.

Where to stay: Minaret Lodge Wanaka

Wanaka City Guide

Marlborough

The most famous wine region in New Zealand is undoubtedly Marlborough. The auspicious area in the northern part of the South Island cuts a hefty swath flush with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and more. Sauvignon Blanc, the archetypal Kiwi variety, dominates here and was the grape that made Marlborough what it is today. Try Gisborne Chardonnay, too, and, unequivocally, the plummy, tannic Cabernet Merlots and Syrahs of Hawke’s Bay. For a special thrill, time a visit to coincide with Harvest Hawke’s Bay, a three day bash that fetes area producers in Napier.

Where to stay: Bay Of Many Coves Resort Marlborough

Napier City Guide

Where and How to Celebrate Australia Day 2012

Ian — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:02:52 +0000

What is the best way to commemorate the arrival of the First Fleet at Botany Bay, Sydney Cove in 1788 and the declaration of British sovereignty over what was then New Holland? From Grand Slam tennis to pyrotechnics, a venerable awards ceremony to a live music fest, we run down some of the best options.

Australia Day by Perth Water Foreshore – Photo credit

Australian Open
Melbourne Park

Even the most blasé tennis fan has to agree: the prospect of a Rafael Nadal v. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic v. Andy Murray all-world men’s singles semi-final on Thursday night is too sweet to pass up. And how about the women’s side of the draw? Not too shabby, with the likes of Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitová and Maria Sharapova still in it for Australia Day.

Where to stay: The Hotel Windsor Melbourne

Australia Day Festival
The Parklands, South Bank, Brisbane

The quintessential Queensland way to celebrate on January 26 is in the Parklands of Brisbane. The big free day out at the World Expo 88 site includes live music, entertainment, all-ages fun and fireworks.

Where to stay: Hilton Brisbane Hotel

Brisbane City Guide

Australia Celebrates Live
Federation Mall, Parliament House, ACT

Why not ensconce yourself in Canberra for the foremost annual civic event in the country? Relax on the lawns of Parliament House for the Australian of the Year Awards broadcast and picnic and party it up for Australia Celebrates Live. The Australia Day eve outdoor bash will feature INXS, Sneaky Sound System, Spiderbait, The Potbelleez and Katie Noonan and The Captains. 5:45 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. with pre-show entertainment as of 3:00 p.m.

Where to stay: Diamant Boutique Hotel Canberra

Australia v. India Test Cricket
Adelaide Oval

Talk about a boost to national pride. If Mickey Arthur’s men can manage to topple India in Adelaide, Australia Day 2012 will be one to remember. With veterans like Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar in action, the Test Match will run over five days at Adelaide Oval, from January 24-28. Gates open at 8:00 a.m. Last big chance to see the Oval before it gets a massive $550 million facelift.

Where to stay: The Sebel Playford Adelaide

Adelaide City Guide

Darling Harbour Australia Day Spectacular and Fireworks
Darling Harbour, Sydney

The paragon metropolis of Australia gets duly spectacular for Oz Day. Important events on January 26 in Sydney include the Woggan-ma-gule Morning Ceremony, GIO Oz Day 10K, 2012 Yabun Concert and Hyde Park Main Stage. Sample Sydney offers low tariffs and special themed exhibits at cultural institutions like the Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Parliament of New South Wales and Powerhouse Museum. But the indubitable big one is at Darling Harbour after dark, where a brilliant symphony of light, sound, music and fireworks will entertain hundreds of thousands.

Where to stay: Four Points By Sheraton Hotel Darling Harbour Sydney

Australia Day Skyworks
Perth Water

Sydney puts on some first-class fireworks but Perth is Pyro City. With that, secure yourself a spot on the Perth Water Foreshore or at Kings Park and Botanic Garden for the always awesome Australia Day Skyworks. Be sure to arrive early!

Where to stay: Rydges Hotel Perth

Big Day Out 2012
Sydney Showground, Olympic Park

Kanye West. Kasabian. Soundgarden. Girl Talk. My Chemical Romance. Etcetera. With beefed up CityRail transport, just for the occasion.

Where to stay: Pullman At Sydney Olympic Park Hotel

Sydney City Guide

Best Remote Escapes in Australia

Ian — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:43:36 +0000

What can an ostensibly trite and dull statistical measurement like population density tell us about a particular country? Well, quite a lot, as it turns out (demographers everywhere celebrate!). Take Australia, for example. Big country, very few people. While a city like Manila has over 43,000 people per km2 – a figure that boggles the mind – the most dense Down Under gets is the 2,000 Sydneysiders per km2 who “crowd” the capital of New South Wales.

Mirima National Park, Western Australia – Photo credit

On the whole, Australia has just under 3 people per km2. Canada – massive, empty Canada – has a half a person more per km2. Colossal Russia? 8.3 per km2. Only Mongolia and Namibia, in fact, eclipse Oz for sheer barrenness. Aside from latent natural resource caches, what all this insinuates is a lot of covert, clandestine escapes for anyone keen to bolt from the grind. From the bush to the desert then, take a look at some of the best remote (or remote-ish) escapes in Australia.

Kununurra, Western Australia

Forget Broome. Hey, don’t get us wrong – we adore Roebuck Bay and will gladly take the white sand of Cable Beach anyday in the Dry. But if you truly want to get lost in the Kimberley, trundle for days down Gibb River Road – the Great Northern Highway is the easy, urbanite way out – to Kununurra. A 10 hour drive from Darwin, 27 hour drive from Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and 33 hour drive from Perth, the gateway to Mirima National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Purnululu National Park is sublime.

Where to stay: Kununurra Country Club Resort

Lizard Island, Queensland

Enjoy a singular natural world wonder from no less than paradise. Lizard Island Resort is a plush portal to the Great Barrier Reef but is so blissful some visitors never bother with the charter or dive kit. A gorgeous, immaculate coastline and all the hallmarks of a high-end chillout spot make it one of the world’s best remote resorts.

Where to stay: Lizard Island Resort

Lizard Island Guide

Esperance, Western Australia

The Shire of Esperance is hopeful the likes of a NASA Skylab never makes landfall close to town again. Some older residents probably came down with déjà vu recently when reports of hazardous space debris from a Russian space probe surfaced. Whatever the case, there’s a lot of charm in and around the town of 9,500 people in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. Try the Southern Ocean coastline for one and Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks.

Where to stay: Best Western Hospitality Inn Esperance

New Norfolk, Tasmania

A town of 5,000 people some 32 km outside of Hobart may not be all that remote per se. From Melbourne or Sydney, however, New Norfolk feels it. Take the Derwent Valley Railway and venture to Mount Field National Park, Franklin-Gordon Rivers National Park and the rest of the UNESCO World Heritage wilderness of Tasmania.

Where to stay: Tynwald Willow Bend Estate

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory

The Red Centre of Australia lures a fair share of tourists of course but it is still as remote as it comes. The exquisite Longitude 131° Lodge is the ultimate platform from which to experience the peerless majesty of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Where to stay: Longitude 131°

Uluru (Ayers Rock) Guide

Top 10 Hikes in Australia

Ian — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:19:01 +0000

Fancy a little fresh air while in the land Down Under? No worries. Oz and epic hikes go together like Vegemite and butter on toast. Take a look at ten of the best, from short walkabouts to rangy, cross-country expeditions.

Larapinta Trail, NT – Photo credit

10. Australian Alps Walking Track (VIC, NSW, ACT)
Distance: 683 km

From Walhalla, Victoria to Tharwa, ACT, trek through spectacular alpine wilderness and five national parks.

Where to stay: Burbury Hotel Canberra

Margaret River Wine Region Guide

9. Great Ocean Walk (VIC)
Distance: 250 km

Why speed down Great Ocean Road when you can meander down Great Ocean Walk and admire awesome scenery and wildlife at a more carbon-neutral pace? Get up close and personal with the Twelve Apostles on foot.

Where to stay: Beacon Point Ocean View Villas Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay Guide

8. Mawson Trail (SA)
Distance: 890 km

Popular with mountain bikers, hikers can also make use of this lengthy network of country roads, state forest and national park fire trails, farm access tracks and furtive road reserves. The Mawson Trail starts in Adelaide Hills and ends in the Flinders Ranges.

Where to stay: The Majestic Roof Garden Hotel Adelaide

Adelaide City Guide

7. Six Foot Track (NSW)
Distance: 45 km

See some of the best parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Greater Blue Mountains Area, from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves.

Where to stay: Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains

Katoomba City Guide

6. South Coast Track (TAS)
Distance: 82 km

Another path to World Heritage glory, this time in Southwest National Park, Tasmania.

Where to stay: Salamanca Inn All Suite Hotel Hobart

Hobart City Guide

5. Cape to Cape Track (WA)
Distance: 124 km

While many trails in Western Australia extend for well over 500 km, the Cape to Cape Track is much more manageable and cuts through the heart of gorgeous Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.

Where to stay: Sienna Lodge Margaret River

4. Fraser Island Great Walk (QLD)
Distance: 90 km

Explore the coast, heathlands, subtropical rainforest and mangroves of UNESCO World Heritage Fraser Island.

Where to stay: Kingfisher Bay Resort & Village Fraser Island

Fraser Island Guide

3. Overland Track (TAS)
Distance: 73 km

The most famous track in Australia, let alone Tasmania, can get competitively busy. Best to book a spot on the Overland way in advance with the rangers at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

Where to stay: Cradle Mountain Lodge

Cradle Mountain Guide

2. Larapinta Trail (NT)
Distance: 230 km

Alice Springs and Mount Sonder bookend this gem in West MacDonnell National Park.

Where to stay: Crowne Plaza Hotel Alice Springs

Alice Springs City Guide

1. Bibbulmun Track (WA)
Distance: 961 km

It never hurts to start a monumental bushwalk on the periphery of a big city. The Bibbulmun Track begins in Kalamunda, a suburb of Perth, and ends in Albany.

Where to stay: Pan Pacific Perth

Weekly Travel Q&A: Best Weekend Escapes from Melbourne

Ian — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:38:49 +0000

Can you recommend some good weekend getaway destinations within relative close range of Melbourne?

Thank you,

Frank A., Birmingham

Phillip Island – Photo credit

Good question Frank and one with a litany of answers. One telltale characteristic of every world class city, of course, is a plethora of spectacular short trip targets within a few hours radius. The capital of Victoria is no exception to the rule. My choice weekend escape bets from Melbourne include national parks, bucolic hamlets and some of the best B&Bs in Australia.

Beechworth
Distance from Melbourne: 284 km

The time capsule of Beechworth (pop. 2,645) has a tidy cache of historic architecture to explore and a famous bakery to boot. Once a bit of a tourist trap (Ned Kelly paraphernalia is everywhere) but now a bona fide gourmet haunt.

Where to stay: Barnsley House B&B Beechworth

Bendigo
Distance from Melbourne: 154 km

The inland regional hub of Bendigo (pop. 91,713) parlays Victorian streetscapes and a gold rush pedigree to lure Melburnians in on long weekends. See the old trams, the Golden Dragon Museum, Sacred Heart Cathedral and Hotel Shamrock.

Where to stay: Quest Apartments Bendigo

Bendigo City Guide

Phillip Island
Distance from Melbourne: 142 km

What excites me about Phillip Island is not so much the motorsports legacy of the place – though scores congregate at the Grand Prix Circuit for events like the Australian Drivers’ Championship, Superbike World Championship and V8 Supercars – but the promise of a fine beach, epic surf at Woolamai and little penguins at Phillip Island Nature Park.

Where to stay: Glen Isla House Phillip Island

Phillip Island Guide

Queenscliff
Distance from Melbourne: 106 km

Heritage seaside resorts can fade over time but Queenscliff, happily, is as sharp as ever. The terminus of the Searoad ferry to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula is a lovely gem and feels worlds from Southbank. Come for the Queenscliff Music Festival in November.

Where to stay: Bellarine Day Spa & Portarlington Cedar Lodge

Healesville
Distance from Melbourne: 64 km

Graze and imbibe on fine Yarra Valley foods and wines, take a heritage railway and admire lavish legacy country estates. Healesville is a wonderful panacea from big city life and so very close too.

Where to stay: Brentwood Bed & Breakfast Healesville

The Dandenongs
Distance from Melbourne: 50 km

The 120,000 people or so who dwell in the vicinity of the Dandenongs Ranges are most fortunate. Sure, a plush condo in central Melbourne is never a dull proposition but a swank refuge in leafy foothills is not a bad arrangement either. See for yourself from the summit of SkyHigh Mount Dandenong, just one hour from Melbourne, with a view of the city in the distance.

Where to stay: Holly Gate House Dandenong Ranges

Best Boutique Hotels in Australia

Ian — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:20:47 +0000

The concrete definition of “boutique hotel” may be somewhat loose and elusive but you know a good one when you see it. Australia is at the forefront of the design and lifestyle hotel game, what with global hubs like Sydney and Melbourne, UNESCO World Heritage national parks, sublime wine regions and paradisal islands. From the urban and affordable to the plush and clandestine, we run down some of the best.

The Henry James Art Hotel, Hobart – Photo credit

The Limes Hotel Brisbane
142 Constance Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD

Fortitude Valley, the premier nightlife and entertainment ward of Brisbane, is a mini-hive of boutique hotel chic. The Limes first broke the mold in the city and feels more like SoHo (or Soho for that matter).

Emporium Hotel Brisbane
1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD

A mere 5 minute walk from the Limes, the Emporium Hotel is the hot new flavour of the month in Brisbane.

Brisbane City Guide

Qualia Resort
20 Whitsundays Boulevard, Hamilton Island, Whitsundays, QLD

The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef was long delinquent in the boutique hotel department. That problem was quickly remedied when the ultra-fab Qualia Resort opened on Hamilton Island.

Whitsundays Guide

The Observatory Hotel
89-113 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW

A world-class alpha city should be a magnet for fashionable, design-forward hoteliers and, happily, Sydney is no exception. The Observatory is a quiet haven in the Rocks with a sumptuous indoor pool.

Establishment Hotel
5 Bridge Lane, Sydney, NSW

The sleek, immaculate Establishment is a most adult hotel steps from Circular Quay.

The Kirketon
The Wharf at Woolloomooloo, 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Sydney NSW

The Kirketon was part of the initial surge of tony properties to pretty up Sydney’s once-moribund hotel scene. Surprisingly affordable, despite a recent makeover.

Medusa Hotel
267 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW

Another artsy jet-set Darlo darling, the Medusa is a stunning Victorian townhouse convert.

Ravesi’s On Bondi
118 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach, Sydney, NSW

Ravesi’s, in the bosom of Bondi, keeps it minimalist with a tidy twelve smartly-appointed rooms.

Sydney City Guide

Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa
Lilianfels Avenue, Echo Point, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, NSW

The best way to take in a UNESCO World Heritage Site like the Greater Blue Mountains Area? Stay a couple of nights at the elegant Lilianfels Resort.

Blue Mountains Guide

The Diamant
15 Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra, ACT

When some of the best architectural talent in Australia revived a derelict 1920s landmark in Canberra to create the Diamant, they also resuscitated the capital’s stuffy hotel scene.

The Hatton
65 Park Street, South Yarra, Melbourne, VIC

South Yarra, Melbourne’s most exalted suburb, is no stranger to boutique bliss. The Hatton, a tasteful Italianate mansion refurb, is a standout.

The Lyall Hotel & Spa
14 Murphy Street, South Yarra, Melbourne, VIC

A 10 minute stroll from the Hatton takes you to the Lyall – a dap repurposed apartment block.

Chateau Yering
42 Melba Highway Yering, Yarra Valley, VIC

One of the best hotels in Melbourne is not in the city at all. Chateau Yering is 55 km northeast of the city in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir country.

Yarra Valley Guide

The Henry James Art Hotel
25 Hunter Street, Hobart, TAS

Hobart has a trove of old buildings just aching for spiffy upgrades. The Henry James turned the trick on a charming early 19th century jam factory.

Hobart City Guide

Saffire Freycinet Coles Bay Hotel
2352 Coles Bay Road, Coles Bay, TAS

Boutique hotel or über-luxe lodge? Either way, the Saffire Freycinet defies description. The hotel is a beacon of contemporary architecture discreetly tucked amid one of the most jaw-dropping spots in Tasmania.

Hotel Richmond
128 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA

Art Deco gets a stylish modern twist at the Richmond in Adelaide.

Adelaide City Guide

The Richardson Hotel and Spa Perth
32 Richardson Street, West Perth, WA

Unless you absolutely must stay in downtown Perth for some reason, go west to the swanky Richardson Hotel and Spa.

The Outram
32 Outram Street, West Perth, WA

A taste of la Rive Gauche in Perth? Why not? The branché Outram is another fine reason to rest in West Perth.