Five by Five: A handful of Australia’s top tier Euro-style hotels

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Along with our recently reviewed Melbourne’s Sofitel, there are only a few truly European-flavoured five-star hotels in Australia. Here are our pick:

Park Hyatt, Sydney

Although best known for its front-row seat to Sydney Harbour’s iconic trifecta, the bridge, the house and the fun park, the Park Hyatt isn’t just about location.

A drastic revamp to include two waterfront restaurants and bar, a day spa and 155 designer rooms means even more expansive views, marble baths, attentive service and custom-made artworks.

sydney.park.hyatt.com

The Langham, Melbourne

Voted as the top city hotel in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific by US magazine Travel + Leisure four years running, The Langham must be doing something right.

Old-world opulence meets European luxury with grand staircases, plush beds, the theatrical Melba Restaurant, a day spa and that famous Langham service.

melbourne.langhamhotels.com.au

Crown Towers, Melbourne

Crown was dubbed ‘Best Luxury Hotel’ at AT’s 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards, recognised as a truly stylish stay with decedent touches.

With deep soaking baths, top-notch service and panoramic skyline views, as one reader claimed “it is pure heaven".

crownhotels.com.au/crown-towers-melbourne

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Four Seasons, Sydney

The name resonates with luxury-seekers worldwide, and its Sydney outpost at Circular Quay has an envious location in the heart of the city.

It also boasts a holistic spa, elegant dining and in-room delights like thick bathrobes, oversized beds and some of the best views of the harbour.

fourseasons.com/Sydney

Stamford Plaza, Brisbane

On the banks of the Brisbane River stands this Queensland icon.

Each of the guest rooms at Stamford Plaza has been lavishly appointed in timber furnishings and muted tones, with mod-cons like a flat-screen TV, on-demand movies, 24-hour concierge, and an extensive list of the hotel’s own high-tea options.

stamford.com.au/spb

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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

    Megan Arkinstall Megan Arkinstall
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    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.