AustralianGourmetTraveller-June2018

Best club sandwich

JACKALOPE, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VIC

Best minibar

MACQ01, HOBART, TAS

Best service

SPICERS CLOVELLY ESTATE, MONTVILLE, QLD

There’s a lot to be said for the special brand of hospitality

at small regional hotels, especially those with hands-on

managers like Spicers Clovelly Estate’s GM Stephen

McAteer. He’s an exemplar in the field of relaxed country

hospitality, often greeting guests on arrival, ofering them

a prosecco on the lawn and a tour of the estate while

dispensing tips about morning yoga classes, boules and

bikes, or a nearby waterfall walk. Staf are cut from the same

hospitable cloth; our request for a phone charger is met

with, “I’ll bring it straight to your room!” McAteer recently

relocated to sister hotel Spicers Hidden Vale, but he leaves

behind an impressive service culture.spicersretreats.com

Finalists: Next Hotel Brisbane, Qld; Shangri-La

Sydney, NSW

Best pool

ELEMENTS OF BYRON, BYRON BAY, NSW

Adults-only pools are terribly elitist and may even violate
UN conventions on the rights of children. But they’re
perfectly acceptable as a complement to a pool of (almost)
equal decadence that’s open to all guests, as is the case
at Elements of Byron on Belongil Beach in northern
New South Wales. The resort’s recent expansion added
99 two-bedroom rainforest villas and a separate adults-
only poolto complement the existing 850,000-litre infinity
lagoon surrounded bydaybeds. The new pool’s key selling
point, apart from its cabanas, is a swim-up tequila bar
serving a dazzling range of very good agave spirits, as
well as poolside snacks such as tacosstufed with prawns,
Tecate-braised brisket or butternut pumpkin. Way to
make a splash.elementsoyron.com.au
Finalists: The Johnson, Brisbane, Qld;
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, NSW

You would think, given
this is our fifth year of
rating hotel clubs, that
we’d be tired of eating
sandwiches stufed with
chicken, bacon and bits
of salad. But each year
at least one hotel kitchen
presents a club sandwich
that rocks the room-
service menu. This
year, that kitchen was at
Jackalope, and it served
our reviewer his best club
sandwich ever. It’s called
Drunk in Da Club (they

love a quirky name at

Jackalope) – an unholy

marriage of drunken

chicken, crisp chicken

skin, pickled green

tomatoes (made on site,

with tomatoes from the

garden), bacon jam and

fresh lettuce on white

bread, soft and flufy

but sturdy enough

to avoid sogginess.

Order one ASAP.

Finalists: The Louise,

Barossa Valley, SA;

QT Gold Coast, Qld

This is not a minibar.

With 37 items on ofer,

it’s definitely a maxibar.

Almost all products are

proudly Tasmanian, for

an island showcase as

authentic as this Hobart

hotel. The water is Cape

Grim, while the beers are

Boags, Cascade and

Hobart Brewing Co. The

wines are all local, as are

the spirits (Sud Polaire,

McHenry, Hellyers Road)

and the snacks (Cadbury’s

chocolate and Mountain

Pepper beef jerky).

But what we love about

the Macq01 maxibar

are the extra-thoughtful

things – the thick woollen

Mongrel scarf (two of

our reviewers bought

them), the Tasmanian

Tea Company canisters,

sunscreen and Panadol.

Anything you might need

for a stay in the Tasmanian

capital.macq01.com.au

Finalists: Mona Pavilions,

Hobart, Tas; QT Hotels

& Resorts●

GOURMET TRAVELLER 155