Close User Name Password
Login Register
Hotel stories straight to your inbox:

Australia Travel Guide

World » Australia And South Pacific » Australia

Tags: / / / /

Qualia Does Spa Treatments for the Typical Aussie Bloke

| June 27, 2009 at 2:14 AM | 0 Comments

The idyllic Hamilton Island resort off the Queensland coast Down Under, qualia, is ramping up the Aussie factor. Of course, it's been Aussie all along, but they're now cashing in on it with a bunch of Australian-themed spa packages at the Spa qualia.

Since spa treatments are really a pretty new thing to Australia, none of the offerings are truly Australian in any way, but at least some of them sound authentically Aussie. For example, there's the It's A Man's World spa menu which, they say, is "inspired by the Australian man, particularly the type who is likely to spend time sailing or playing golf" – you can get some "individual guy time" and a steam scrub treatment called the Cup Defender, or the Lifesaver facial for dry, too-long-in-the-sun skin.

It's not just for men, of course. There are a collection of Li'tya treatments which have taken their inspiration from Aboriginal dreamtime stories, along with the Heart Reef Ritual which includes body brushing and just the right colors to make you think of the Great Barrier Reef.

Prices aren't exorbitant (you're already paying enough to get to qualia and stay there) – for example, the 105 minutes that your man spends getting the "Cup Defender" treatment will cost A$200 ($160). We're not sure that making spa treatments sound more Australian is really a marketing winner, but there are plenty of other reasons to check out the qualia luxury anyhow.

Tags: / / / /

Get a Taste of the Healthy Life on Hilton Sydney's Health Retreats

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 488 George Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

| May 28, 2009 at 9:02 AM | 0 Comments

If you're looking for a vacation that's healthier than the average overindulgent getaway, here's a suggestion: the Hilton Health Retreat which they run four times a year at the Sydney Hilton. The next retreat is coming up soon, from June 12 to 14, so get packing for Oz fast and you'll come away feeling pretty good – or pretty exhausted.

The Hilton Health Retreat is a pretty full-on weekend, led by an expert nutritionist and a fitness pro. You have to undertake a fitness and nutrition assessment before you even get there, so those two experts can set about planning all the right activities for you.

more ›

Tags: / / /

Live Out Your 'Australia' Fantasy at the Moonlight Head Private Lodges

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 35 Parkers Access Road, Yuulong, Victoria, Australia, 3237

| May 21, 2009 at 4:37 PM | 1 Comment

Inspiring overworked citizens and spouses of the world to escape the rat race and head down under, the movie "Australia" featured Nicole Kidman as an English aristocrat who arrives in Australia to sell off her husband's poorly performing ranch, just as the rest of the world is preparing for World War II. She ends up falling in love with hunky cattle driver Hugh Jackman amidst the beauty of Australia’s landscape. Not to mention, she falls in love with the Outback and its people too.

As if a hit movie weren't enough (the film earned Golden Globe and Oscar nominations, a $26 million campaign courtesy of Tourism Australia has helped boost Australia’s global image in a major way. Wooed by the hospitality and friendliness made famous by Paul Hogan of “Crocodile Dundee” fame, coupled with the country’s natural beauty, more tourists than ever are heading down under.

Oh yeah, and if you're regular readers of Jaunted then you would know about the Down Under Air Fare War that's currently going on between Virgin Australia, Delta and Qantas. This means airfare to Oz is cheaper than ever. And the hotel scene isn't looking too shabby either.

more ›

Tags: / / /

Canoodle With the Dolphins at Australia's Tangalooma Resort

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Moreton Island, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

| May 15, 2009 at 9:54 AM | 0 Comments

Some say an ex-whaling station is a strange place to build a resort — but we have a feeling that it's a great place for the Tangalooma Island Resort off the coast near Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.

Ironically, Tangalooma used to be the biggest whaling station in the southern hemisphere, but now it's all about being nice to big fish (and mammals). For example, there's a pod of dolphins who seem to call Tangalooma home now, routinely comin' around to be fed and have even brought gifts of eels to their feeders.

But if dolphins aren't your creature of choice, you can also go jet skiing to check out some turtles and dugongs, or snorkel around 15 different shipwrecks where there are plenty of colorful fish. And in the right seasons, there's even whale watching; uh, obviously the whales have erased the memory of what used to happen to them at Tangalooma.

There's a variety of accommodation styles within the resort, including hotel rooms starting at A$290 ($220) for doubles (just a short sprint to the beach), and there are also fancier beachfront apartments if you're traveling with friends; a two-bedroom place (which can actually sleep six if you include the sofa bed in the living room) starts around A$660 ($500) a night. You also have to get out there — remember it's an island — so you usually need to add a A$70 ($50) transfer fee. Unless you can arrange to hitch a ride on a dolphin.

Tags: / / / /

Nobody's Heard Of Australia's Best Hotel

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 55 Frome Street, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 5000

| May 8, 2009 at 4:47 PM | 0 Comments

Expedia gave Australian hotel-goers a bit of a surprise this week when they announced that their top 1000 hotels list included an Adelaide hotel as the best Aussie representative.

The South Australian capital city doesn't get too much attention from either vacation or business travelers, but at least according to this survey it's got the best hotel in the whole country: the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel. The 120-room Majestic rated 24th best in the world, even though it's only been open for five years.

As you'd be guessing from the name, this place does have a pretty cool roof garden. It's also in a good location near the main shopping area of Rundle Mall, and since two thirds of its guests are business travelers, it's obviously well-placed for them as well.

And the big bonus is that you get the apparently best hotel in Australia for a pretty cheap rate. For example, they've got an autumn special (that's now in Australia) with a Deluxe King room plus breakfast for A$165 ($125) a night and there are last-minute rates around that are even cheaper.

[Photo: ellieannef]

Tags: / / /

Sip Your Coffee Up Above Melbourne at the Grand Hyatt

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 123 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000

| April 9, 2009 at 11:13 AM | 0 Comments

We are suckers for a room with a killer view.  We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.

There is something about sitting up really high with a drink in our hands — whether it be a cocktail or a coffee — that sort of makes you feel like a king or queen, no? Just us? Okay.

Whether or not you get a royal vibe from chillin' in front of a window with a killer view, you can probably agree that this particular seat (snapped by vissi87 and dropped into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool) from the Grand Club Lounge at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne makes you feel good inside. Unless you're scared of heights. Or scared of Melbourne.

Rates here start at A$232 (around $165 USD) and booking a Club room will grant you access to this lounge (the lowest rate we found for a Club King was A$312, or $222 USD) — which you may think is worth it to be able to sit here and sip your coffee. Also, this hotel was just renovated (to the tune of $30 million USD), so the place has a stylish new lobby, a new restaurant and bar, and totally updated amenities.

[Photo: vissi87]

Tags: / / /

'Ruddy Good' Deals at Aussie Hotels Mean 'Ruddy Good' Things

| April 9, 2009 at 10:01 AM | 0 Comments

Down in Australia, the government's decided to prop up the economy by giving most tax-payers a A$900 bonus, and with the money starting to arrive in everyone's accounts, hotels are among those trying to tempt people to spend their bonuses. And in Sydney, the "stimulus package" deals are a-flying freely.

For non-Aussies, the names of the deals probably seem a bit odd. You have to know that the Prime Minister down there, who is (in a sense) the guy who's giving out the money, is named Kevin Rudd; and that in Aussie slang,"ruddy" is kinda like the Brits' "bloody." You following?

more ›

Tags: / /

Chahoya Spa Opens at Australia's Tropical Cable Beach

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Cable Beach Road, Broome, Western Australia, Australia, 6725

| April 6, 2009 at 8:56 AM | 0 Comments

Tourist season is just starting up in the northwest Australian town of Broome, so it's great timing for the Cable Beach Club Resort to be officially opening their new Chahoya Spa.

We've been dreaming about this spa's Buddha Sanctuary for a while, where you can take a yoga or tai chi class, but the whole wellness experience has got a lot bigger with the April 1 spa opening. Along with some regular massage and body wrap services, the Chahoya Spa people have put together a Himalayan Rejuvenation Therapy package. There's nothing mountainous about Broome but the treatment sounds good anyway, with two hours of steam inhalation treatment, massage, steam tent and Shirodhara relaxation to make you into a new person.

So far there don't seem to be any hotel and spa combo packages, but even the separate prices are not too bad. The entire two hours of Himalayan treatment costs A$270 ($190), and you can get a basic studio suite for A$319 ($230) a night. Getting to Broome might be the most expensive part, although Virgin Blue has cheapish flights from Perth these days.

Tags: / /

Kinglake, Australia Gets New Resort, Post-Fires

| April 3, 2009 at 10:55 AM | 0 Comments

In scenic rural Victoria, not too far out of Melbourne, they're still cleaning up after February's horrific fires. One of the worst hit towns, Kinglake, has just found out it will be home to a new 4.5 star resort which will pretty much "rise from the ashes" of a town that lost not only most of its houses but many of its citizens too.

The as-yet-unnamed resort is the brainchild of local developer Bruce Thomas who has planned a luxury resort with a pool and conference facilities to be built at Pheasant Creek on land that was partly damaged by the fires. They hope the resort will bring back the tourists and provide a financial injection into the local community.

more ›

Tags: / / /

Langham Hotel Does Paparazzi Impression in Melbourne

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Southgate Avenue , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3006

| March 27, 2009 at 9:26 AM | 0 Comments

The Langham Hotel Melbourne knows that not everybody's out of credit during the current financial crisis--and so far Australia's not quite as hard hit--so they're ready to make guests feel particularly special with their Paparazzi Glamour Package.

Feeling famous comes at a price. To stay at the Langham in Melbourne for two nights and be thoroughly spoiled will cost you A$4,200 (at least the favorable US exchange rate brings that down to $2,900). Not cheap, but there are lots of luxuries included.

more ›

Tags: / / /

Intercontinental Works Some Melbourne Magic With Rialto

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 495 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000

| March 20, 2009 at 8:53 AM | 0 Comments

What was once the Rialto Hotel on Collins in Melbourne is now the Intercontinental Melbourne the Rialto and judging from some early guest reviews and a very warm Age review, the change has really done the place good.

Being on Collins Street in central Melbourne gives this Intercontinental the advantage of a good location to start with, and since Melbourne's a place where a lot of stuff happens right there in the city center, location is an especially important factor.

more ›

Tags: / / /

Out-Of-Melbourne Boutique Hotel Scene

| March 13, 2009 at 8:56 AM | 0 Comments

Boutique hotels are not just on the rise in the cities Down Under: apparently in the countryside around Melbourne, Victorian boutique hotels are really taking off, according to a recent top seven list from The Age.

The hottest tip is Lake House on Lake Daylesford; it was picked as Australia's best boutique hotel by Luxury Travel mag and it's also got an award-winning restaurant and spa. If food is high on your priority list, you could also try the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, three hours from Melbourne, since Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine named its restaurant the best regional restaurant in the country this year.

A 40-room place in the Milawa region, Lindenwarrah is a boutique hotel full of the owner's art collection, and close to Brown Brothers wines, one of the most popular vineyards in the country. And for a new and small boutique hotel--just six suites--the Empyre in Castlemaine is the spot to try.

Since we're waiting to see if the Australian government will pay us to fly to Oz, it's worth keeping an eye on some special places to stay. Rates vary but on average start at around A$300 ($200) a night for package deals.