Jackalope, which opened to guests in April, was named Australia’s Hotel of the Year at the annual Gourmet Traveller Australian Hotel Guide Awards.
The stunning new vineyard property on the Victorian coast combines a 143-year-old Mornington Peninsula homestead and winery with a strikingly modern 46-room hotel.
The property was also named New Hotel of the Year and Regional Hotel of the Year in a triumphant trifecta for the $40 million development.
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Jackalope owner, 29-year-old entrepreneur Louis Li, says his vision was to merge art with hospitality.
“I think MONA gave me the confidence that people would appreciate a daring, bold vision in this part of the world,” he says.
“Luxury should be defined by rarity.”
Set on Willow Creek Vineyard in Merricks North, an hour from the Melbourne CBD, the hotel’s
avant-garde design features floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces, a black 30m infinity pool and spa.
Plus there are two on-site restaurants, Doot Doot Doot and Rare Hare, helmed by Guy Stanaway (formerly of Aman Hotels), as well as a cocktail lounge, Flaggerdoot.
Rates at Jackalope start from $650 a night, with a four-course tasting menu at Doot Doot Doot from $85.
Victorian hotels took the lion’s share of the awards, with Jackalope’s trifecta complemented by two gongs for QT Melbourne and one for Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt.
Elsewhere, The Old Clare Hotel in Sydney, Halcyon House in Northern NSW, Art Series hotel The Johnson in Brisbane, The Louise in the Barossa Valley and Como The Treasury in Perth also received honours.
Gourmet Traveller editor Sarah Oakes says Australian hotels were going from strength to strength.
“The boom in new hotel openings – about 120 projects on the drawing board right now – suggests the hotel industry is on a high,” she says.
2017 GOURMET TRAVELLER AUSTRALIAN HOTEL GUIDE AWARD WINNERS
Hotel of the Year: Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Large Hotel of the Year: QT Melbourne, Victoria
New Hotel of the Year: Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Boutique Hotel of the Year: The Old Clare Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Regional Hotel of the Year: Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Best Service: Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach, NSW
Best Breakfast: Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Victoria
Best Pool: The Johnson, Brisbane, Queensland
Best Bar: QT Melbourne, Victoria
Best Club Sandwich: The Louise, Barossa Valley, SA
Best Minibar: Como The Treasury, Perth, WA
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