Southern Australia & Tasmania Hotels & Lodges

Mayfair Hotel

Location
Adelaide, Australia

Adelaide's newest 5-star boutique hotel is set in the heart of the city in a heritage-listed and impeccably renovated Romanesque-style building. Sink into a luxury room decorated with warm contemporary detail in soothing neutral tones. Custom-crafted king-size beds are made in South Australia, and spacious en suite bathrooms have a walk-in rain shower, bathrobe and slippers, and L'Occitane toiletries. Other amenities include a media hub, large screen TV, mini bar, complimentary Wi-Fi and hand-selected artwork. Due to the historic nature of the building, each room has its own unique floor plan. Stylish public spaces include a restaurant and bar featuring South Australia's fines wine and locally sourced cuisine. Named after the original building's architects, the Hennessy rooftop lounge is set beneath the steeply pitched roofline and incorporates a bar and relaxation leading to a glass-topped open-air terrace.

The River Suites

Location
American River, South Australia

Situated high on a ridge overlooking Eastern Cove in the small fishing town of American River, near Pelican Lagoon and scenic hiking trails, the River Suites provide an optimal location from which to explore Kangaroo Island. With just nine rooms tucked among the trees, this small boutique hotel offers a personal, intimate atmosphere. At the top of the hillside property, the dining room features expansive views over the ocean, while the heated swimming pool and gardens are situated on the middle level. Guest rooms are located the first level, with private balconies and a view of the sea. Each room has a king-size bed that can be converted to two twins, plus an en suite bathroom with robes. Furnishings feature rich hardwoods, and amenities include air conditioning, TV, mini bar, tea- and coffee-making facilities and free Wi-Fi. Birdwatching on the property is outstanding, and we regularly encounter the endangered glossy black cockatoo, royal spoonbills, black swans, pelicans and superb blue wrens, along with tammar wallabies and brush-tailed possums.

Daysy Hill Country Cottages

Location
Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia

Enjoying a bucolic setting in Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road route, Daysy Hill is a family-owned and run enterprise with owners who live on the 55-acre site. Guest accommodations are set among 5 acres of beautifully landscaped cottage gardens and native flora with scenic country views in the heart of the Shipwreck Coast. Each modern cottage—no two of which are alike—has a private deck; rustic wood ceilings, floors and/or wainscoting made of pine or Tasmanian oak; kitchen and separate living room/lounge area with flatscreen TV and Wi-Fi; and an en suite bathroom with walk-in shower. Cottages have views of Port Campbell Bay, the Newfield Valley or adjoining farmland that sources some of the inn’s fresh local produce. Sheep, cattle and chickens at home on the property add to the authentic country atmosphere, while native birds lend their songs, and occasionally, a wild koala will pass through. The dark night sky, away from city lights, offers an entrancing tableau for stargazers, and when fire danger is low, the cozy fire pit offers a space to gather and toast marshmallows.

Chris’s Beacon Point

Location
Apollo Bay, Victoria, Australia

Nat Hab groups enjoy exclusive occupancy of this dramatic property, in private 4-star villas that offer 180° views above Skenes Creek and Bass Strait through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Set high in the Otway Ranges above the Great Ocean Road, Chris's Beacon Point offers an unmatched sense of seclusion. Each air-conditioned villa features clean lines and a bright white palette accented with cool, muted tones to create a calm and restful space. Relax on the sofa in the living room with a panorama of the ocean out your window, or watch a movie on the large LCD TV. Bedrooms have one queen and two single beds, with crisp white linens. Spacious bathrooms have raised porcelain sinks and glass-enclosed tiled, walk-in showers. Early risers can make their own cup of tea or coffee in the kitchenette, then head out to the private balcony to look for koalas in the nearby manna gum trees as the sun comes up over the water. Some lucky guests occasionally find koalas hanging out on their deck!

Chris's Restaurant is widely renowned, its reputation growing since its founding in 1979 when nearby Apollo Bay was still a tiny fishing village. The emphasis has always been on the freshly caught local seafood, to which Chris adds his trademark Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flair. Imagine the decadence of a whole baby squid stuffed with pine nuts, sultanas and spinach on a tomato and basil salad (vegetarians will be happy to know that guests rave just as much over the authentic Greek salads). Fine Australian wines are carefully curated to complement your meal. The restaurant's design is as memorable as its cuisine, with sandstone floors and polished native redgum and blackwood timber. It is uniquely set up on different floor levels, ensuring that just as with the villas, every table has a memorable view through the massive windows.

Cradle Mountain Lodge

Location
Cradle Mountain–Lake St. Clair National Park, Australia

This lakeside lodge at the edge of Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park offers warm hospitality, local food and wine, and proximity to one of Tasmania's premier wilderness areas. Its heritage extends back decades, when four men from longtime Tasmanian families bought 800 acres on the border of the national park with visions to build a lodge that would attract passing travelers—mostly avid bushwalkers and fishermen. The original Pencil Pine Lodge enjoyed magnificent views and easy access to some of the mountain's most scenic terrain. Over the years, a collection of 30 cabins was added to the property, and the main lodge was enhanced and refurbished by new owners while preserving its rustic appeal and harmonious integration with its wild setting.

Located close to the main lodge and linked by timber boardwalks, our private cabins enjoy a discreet setting with a balcony overlooking the lake or bushland. Featuring contemporary decor in warm tones, each cabin has a queen-size bed, separate daybed, and armchairs fronting a gas heater reminiscent of a traditional fireplace. Amenities include a mini bar, fridge, Nespresso machine, tea kettle, and Bluetooth speaker for your own personal listening preferences. The main lodge lounge invites cozy relaxation with a fireplace and deep-cushioned leather chairs and sofas—or stop in at the Tavern Bar and Bistro for a casual drink. The Highland Restaurant features acclaimed Tasmanian fare served in view of a roaring fire in the huge stone fireplace. Time permitting, take a sauna or soak at the Waldheim Alpine Spa, where walls of glass look out onto the King Billy pine forest and mountain streams. A guest laundry is also available on the premises.

Truffle Lodge Tented Camp

Location
Gretna, Tasmania, Australia

Truffle Lodge is a deluxe camp that offers guests a peaceful, unhurried experience in nature. Surrounded by farm country and wild bush, the lodge shares space with wildlife, including resident platypus and charming marsupials that appear at dusk. Styled like a bush safari camp, with vintage atmosphere and contemporary comfort, the lodge enjoys an incomparable setting on the banks of the Derwent River with a view of the mountains beyond. Its name comes from the terrain on which it is built: one of Australia’s first truffieres — a plot of land cultivated to produce truffles.

Guests stay in individual safari tents, which are spacious suites (870 square feet) with rustic ambience captured in wood plank floors, wicker trunks and furnishings made of leather and recycled wood. In your en suite bath, refresh under a rain shower or soak in the deep wooden tub, then sink into your luxurious bed—rooms have one king or two singles. Designed deliberately for an unplugged escape, tents do not have televisions or Wi-Fi (though you can connect to the Internet at the main lodge). Instead, take in the serene river view from the hammock or rocking chair on your private deck—your tent is meant to be a personal sanctuary during your stay. Please note, too, that tents are not heated, although heavy bedding will keep you cozy at night.

Tents are connected by boardwalk to The Lodge, comprised of three large farm-style sheds joined by wrap-around decks. It’s a casual communal space for sharing meals, enjoying a drink overlooking the river, or lounging in front of the fireplace. True to the old-school vibe, you’ll find games and puzzles, books and magazines, and an old-fashioned record player with a collection of original 1960s LPs. Table tennis is also available on the canopy-covered deck. In keeping with its bush camp theme, Truffle Lodge offers simple, rustic comfort food accompanied by Tasmanian world-class wines and artisan beers and ciders. Breakfast is self-serve continental-style while dinners are a set menu (though some dietary preferences can be accommodated with advance notice).

MACq 01 Hotel

Location
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Located in the heart of the historic Hobart waterfront on Macquarie Wharf, MACq 01 is a unique luxury hotel designed to connect guests with engaging fables and pieces of history that make up the remarkable story of Tasmania. Billed as a "storytelling hotel," MACq 01 offers guests a journey involving "people, time and place," paying homage to the seagoing First Tasmanians who settled this coast more than 42,000 years ago, followed by a colorful cast of characters from whalers to convicts to shipbuilders and ladies of the evening. The contemporary hotel is built to resemble the shipping shed that formerly occupied this location on Hobart's working waterfront and is situated on Hunter Island, a small rocky outpost in modern-day Hobart harbor and one of the earliest sites of European settlement in Tasmania. Guests are within easy walking distance of the Hunter Street Precinct where many of Hobart's trendiest cafes, bars, restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and day spas are found.

From your room's private balcony, drink in the surrounding view of yachts, docks, convict-built sandstone warehouses, and a huge expanse of open blue water. Inside, discover the intriguing themes that permeate the hotel: through its design and storytelling motifs, each guest room reflects one of five Tasmanian character traits, inviting guests to learn more about what makes Tasmanians distinctive. Innovative decor is creative and quirky in a way that reflects the Tasmanian personality, including large local-landscape murals at the head of plush king-size beds. Sleek, ultra-modern en suite bathrooms include a large walk-in shower. Amenities include Wi-Fi, a large flatscreen TV, wireless speaker and mini bar. Public spaces include the Lounge, with its circular open fireplace crafted by a local stonemason and artifacts representative of traditional Aboriginal tools that have been crafted by Aboriginal people today. Tasmania's acclaimed food and drink are celebrated at the hotel's Old Wharf Restaurant and two refined luxury bars. Suffice it to say, this is no ordinary cookie-cutter hotel!