Urban List Travel

Get that party shirt out and your drinking thongs on, Moon Dog’s fifth monster concept venue in Frankston serving up tropical cocktails and craft brews for days

The latest offering to Melbourne’s hotel scene, the elegant Melbourne Place is a must-do eat, stay, play situation like the city hasn't seen before, complete with the most aesthetic rooftop bar.

Mornington Peninsula is now home to a chic new retro motel, The Keith.

Not exactly what you expect on a CBD rooftop. Six gleaming Airstream camper trailers, straight out of the 1970s, converted into boutique chalets. Whoever reckoned we hit peak Melbourne didn't bank on these bad boys.

Re’em Yarra Valley is a unicorn, in more than one sense of the word.

Tucked away on the cusp of the New South Wales border resides a quaint country town called Huon—and right on the banks of Lake Hume is the all-new eco-friendly The Good House.

You might be familiar with Melbourne-based luggage brand July, we wrote about them earlier this year. Well, now less than a year since the brand launched, they’ve opened their first retail store in Emporium.

Welcome to the new ultimate summer getaway.

Looking for a gem to visit on your next Sunday (or weekday) drive? Look no further! Recruit your bae, jump in your car and road trip to the stunning Taltarni Vineyard. This spot will woo your heart. Guaranteed.

Nestled among the coastal tea-trees of Fingal and only 90 minutes from Melbourne, Peninsula Hot Springs has remained a key attraction on the Mornington Peninsula for good reason. The award winning natural hot springs, thermal springs, and their relaxing facilities make it an obvious choice for a visit in 2024, any time of year, at one of Victoria's ultimate wellness destinations. 

These days most people want their hotels to be chic, contemporary, zoom-zoom sort of establishments.

Add this place to your list of special-occasion-pay-cheque-blowing getaways. It’s Victoria’s hottest new boutique escape, set on rolling green hills behind the Pt Lonsdale bluff. Write the name in your dream journal now: Lon Retreat.

Marysville was one of the towns hit hard by the Black Saturday bushfires back in 2009, and it took a while for the place to rebuild.

Next time you’re walking along Domain Rd in South Yarra, cast your gaze up a couple of floors. You’ll notice a modernist, brushed concrete building above the new Matilda. They look like high-end apartments, but they’re actually the city’s newest boutique hotel. Twelve spiffing suites with personal butlers, designer furnishings, and some of the best damn views in the city.

This place might be 15 minutes from Tullamarine, but 'airport hotel' doesn't really seem appropriate. This is a $35m four-star regional estate, featuring a historic homestead, 250-person event space, 250-seat restaurant, vineyard and farmers' market, set on 1,100 beautiful acres.

If you haven’t been to Hobart lately, or at the very least planned a trip down there to see the sights, what’s exactly are you waiting for?

If you’re travelling to Melbourne for work or play, or just looking for a little staycay—you’d be mad not to consider the Melbourne hotel institution that is Crown Towers.

Need to break free from work for a couple of days? We’ve been there. The Novotel Melbourne South Wharf may just be the solution, in prime position for a cheeky Melbourne staycay.

Ahhh, so THIS is how the other half live. Those swish, globe-trotting businessmen and women who use words like ‘dividend’ and spent domestic flights making calls to their broker in Helsinki. We noticed half a dozen in the lobby of Crown’s elegant Southbank hotel, Metropol.

Want to know what $16m looks like in the hands of Victoria’s hottest architects? It looks like the new hotel at Mitchelton winery in the Goulbourn Valley, a couple of hours due north of Melbourne.

Ovolo Laneways is one of the ‘new breed’ Melbourne hotels. Which means they’re big on added extras, little conveniences and high-speed, free-flowing WIFI.

When most people think Crown, they think Crown Towers. But don’t dismiss Crown Promenade for a cheeky weekend getaway or city staycation. It ticks A LOT of romantic boxes.

What is it about the word ‘loft’? It instantly makes any space sound at least 25% better.

The Arts Series has done it again. After expanding with Larwill Studio in North Melbourne, they’ve unleashed a brand new boutique hotel, this time in Box Hill—and damn, will you look at that view.

Right off the bat, we’ve gotta mention Park Hyatt Melbourne’s latest employee, Mr Walker the hotel's canine concierge. A profesh guide dog, Mr Walker busies himself with friendly welcomes at the lobby and accepting belly rubs in his custom-made Tasmanian Oak bed.

The Cullen was one of The Arts Series’ OG hotel ventures (along with The Olsen, just down the road), and like all Arts Series hotels, it’s got a bit of a reputation.

You can’t buy views like this. Well, you can. You can buy them at Doubletree By Hilton, perched opposite historic Flinders St station. In terms of location, Doubletree can’t be beaten. You’re 50m from Fed Square, a stone’s throw from the greatest laneway in the city (Centre Place), and surrounded by more bars, restaurants cafes and bruncheries than any normal human could visit in one lifetime.

Contemporary painter David Larwill was known for bright, punchy colours, and you’ll cop an eyeful as soon as you enter Larwill Studio’s dreamy lobby space. Six giant canvases hang on the wall, paired with some slick mid-century furniture. You wouldn’t expect anything less from The Arts Series—these guys have pretty much redefined boutique Melbourne accommodation over the last few years.

Looking for a classy stay in the CBD? It’s hard to go past QT. You can’t knock a place that picked up #1 Hotel In Melbourne on Tripadvisor, right?

Think The Hotel Windsor and their iconic Afternoon Tea sessions come to mind. But apart from serving up a mean cuppa and the most delectable little pastries and cakes, the Hotel Windsor is also renowned for its other many odes to Victorian heritage.

Central location, sweet designer homewares, and the city’s fanciest cocktail bar downstairs—we believe they call that ‘the whole package’.