A guide to Australia’s best boutique hotels
So long, cookie cutter hotels. The age of award-winning boutique hotels is now upon us. And it’s exciting news for travellers! Halcyon House is in great company with Australia being home to some truly incredible boutique hotels, running the gamut from intimate urban escapes to glamorous coastal getaways.
Looking for Australia’s best small luxury accommodation? Here are five must-sees.
1. Halcyon House – Cabarita Beach, NSW
Coastal luxury has never looked so good. Like a slice of Palm Springs style in the gorgeous Tweed Shire, Halcyon House is more than just a boutique hotel – it’s an experience. Glamorous accommodation in rooms and suites designed by Anna Spiro, an innovative and award-winning restaurant led by celebrated chef Jason Barratt, and a pampering day spa combine to create a chic retreat that will delight the senses and rejuvenate the soul. Start the day with a morning yoga session on the beach, enjoy a massage or facial at the Halcyon Spa, enjoy a signature picnic on the beach, and then relax poolside with a drink in hand before sending your taste buds on an adventure at amazing Paper Daisy restaurant. Halcyon House is a dream getaway worth making reality.
2. Spicers Balfour – Brisbane, QLD
Regularly named among the best boutique hotels in Queensland, Spicers Balfour ages like a fine wine. Located minutes from downtown Brisbane in the trendy suburb or New Farm, the hotel is well placed to take in city sights, but chances are you’ll just want to stay indoors. Each of its guest rooms is sanctuary of urban style, while the sensational onsite restaurant – The Balfour Kitchen – is regarded as one of the country’s best Vietnamese restaurants. High tea at The Balfour Kitchen should definitely be on your list of things to do, followed by drinks at the rooftop bar as the sun sets across the Brisbane skyline behind.
3. Jackalope – Mornington Peninsula, VIC
What do you get when you combine a luxury boutique hotel with an open-air art gallery set amidst the rolling vineyards of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula? One word: Jackalope. This daring property, which takes its name from a mythical rabbit-like creature with antlers, is unlike any other in Australia. A 30-metre black pool and spa, hatted restaurant Doot Doot Doot, and a quirky seven-metre rabbit statue are just the tip of the avant-garde iceberg. Its signature guest rooms, or Lairs as they’re called, are furnished in various shades of black and grey, yet still manage to have a whimsical, carefree atmosphere. The Vineyard and Terrace suites are just as beautiful, with views looking over the surrounding landscape. If you can peel your eyes away from the hotel, there are some 50 vineyards and cellar doors across the surrounding area where you can indulge in some top-notch Mornington wine.
4. Hougoumont Hotel – Fremantle, WA
Perth is so hot right now. Though for a time it felt lost in the hotel wilderness, it’s emerged as a genuine powerhouse of style and design. One of the most intriguing properties to open is the Hougoumont Hotel in sunny Fremantle – and not just because of what it’s made of. Purpose built using shipping container construction, Hougoumont Hotel pays homage to the city of Fremantle’s proud shipping heritage, while also breathing new life into the local hotel scene. Each of its Cabin and State rooms is a haven of understated, boutique elegance. With its amazing location just around the corner from the famous Market Street cappuccino strip, the wonders of historic Fremantle – and greater Perth beyond – are within easy reach.
5. Primus Hotel Sydney – Sydney CBD, NSW
Often the best Australian boutiques are the ones that surprise you. Primus Hotel Sydney is one of them. Occupying the former headquarters of Sydney Water Board, this heritage property looks like any other Pitt Street office tower from outside, but step through its grand double doors and you’ll discover a haven of old-world charm meets modern sophistication. Opened in December 2015 after an extensive refurbishment, which peeled back the office layers to reveal the hidden beauty beneath, the hotel is now an homage to the golden age of Art deco style and Hollywood glamour. White marble floors and towering columns of red scagliola immediately set the scene, and the surprises just keep on coming throughout. Fine dining restaurant The Wilmot and recently revamped rooftop bar Level Seven up the luxury further, bolstering its status among the top small luxury hotels in the country.
