Large Hotel of the Year
MACQ01, HOBART, TASRegional Hotel of the Year
LAKE HOUSE, DAYLESFORD, VICThree decades ago, Alla and Allan Wolf-Tasker saw
the potential of the quiet central Victorian spa town
of Daylesford and opened an ambitious restaurant and
country house beside pretty Lake Daylesford. Since then,
Lake House has set the benchmark for Australian regional
hospitality and helped reposition the town as the state’s
most indulgent destination. Lake House is continually
evolving – expect revamped waterfront studios and a
lake-facing horizon pool by year’s end – but it’s always
defined by its gorgeous setting, smart service, indulgent
treetop spa and destination restaurant.lakehouse.com.au
Finalists: Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach, NSW;
Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, VicBoutique Hotel
of the Year
JACKALOPE, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VICIt’s barely a year since the 46-room Jackalope landed like
an alien spacecraft in the bucolic hills of the Mornington
Peninsula. There’s so much to love about this wildly
unconventional hotel, starting with its sumptuous rooms
and suites, especially those with vineyard views. We also
love the avant-garde art, bold furnishings and daring vision
that distinguishes Jackalope from other boutique hotels.
Its vineyard bistro Rare Hare often has a two-hour wait
for tables at weekends and Saturday night stays are
booked out months in advance.jackalopehotels.com
Finalists: The Langham Sydney, NSW; The Old Clare
Hotel, Sydney, NSWLarge hotels needn’t
be predictable. Hobart’s
Macq01 hotel, designed
by heritage experts Circa
Morris Nunn to resemble
a riverside wharf, has a
distinctive personality.
It is Tasmania writ large
in wood, steel and glass;
a 114-room hotel that pours
its island soul into every
detail. The rooms, unusually
generous in space and
amenities (cofee machines,
epic minibars), featurecommissioned local art
such as Troy Rufels’
landscape photos and
Duncan Meerding’s timber
lampshades, and each
room tells the story of a
character from Tasmania’s
past or present. Everything
feels custom-made and
handpicked for this inn
beside the Derwent River.
macq01.com.au
Finalists: Grand Hyatt
Melbourne, Vic; Park
Hyatt Sydney, NSWThe awardsGOURMET TRAVELLER 153PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS (JACKALOPE), ADAM GIBSON (MACQ01) & WILL HORNER (PARAMOUNT HOUSE)