A new boutique hotel in an old Melbourne cinema is full of surprises.
Forget cinematic excellence, the one thing I remember most about the old Greater Union cinema in Russell Street is the damn seats. With a low-slung design that finished midway up your back, they would have to go down as the most uncomfortable cinema seats I’ve ever had the misfortune of spending an hour and 25 in.
When the cinema closed in 2013, I was happy to see it go.
Today, the stark, modernist 1970s building that once housed these poorly designed pews is barely recognisable from its former self thanks to a super-glam overhaul by the QT hotel chain. And I’m happy to say, there’s not an uncomfortable piece of furniture to be found.
The details
Where: QT Melbourne: 133 Russell Street, Melbourne, Vic
What to expect
Since opening in September 2016, QT Melbourne has brought some much-needed personality to the city’s boutique hotel scene. Known for its quirkiness, QT Hotels seems befitting of a city like Sydney – where you’ll find the flagship – but I wasn’t convinced that its cheeky, OTT brashness would translate here in Melbourne.
Public spaces create a sense of drama. QT Melbourne.
But when it comes to first impressions, QT Melbourne has a particularly strong game.
For a start, you can’t miss those shiny copper-capped entrance doors, even from half a block away. Then there’s the immaculate, designer-clad bell staff (or ‘Directors of Chaos’, as they’re known here).
On arrival, we’re greeted outside by two perfectly coiffed young women. Their flawless make-up and megawatt smiles set the scene for what is to be a suitably theatrical hotel experience.
Inside the lobby, the windows and ceilings soar and the staff look like extras from a Robert Palmer video. The moody-glam décor and sweeping, brass-lined staircase add to the mounting sense of drama. Check-in is seamless and the staff well drilled.
As we step into the low-lit lift en route to our room, we’re greeted by seductive coos from an anonymous woman speaking in French. Each lift plays a different voice-over in various languages.
QT quirky? You betcha.
While the building itself has been redesigned by Sydney-based architect Angelo Candalepas, the public spaces and 188 rooms have been conceived by interior designer Nic Graham and architect and designer Shelley Indyk respectively.
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The room
The rooms themselves are well proportioned, with good natural light and wonderful views of the city’s rooftops and skyline. They exude a calm sophistication.
I’m told the gel-topped beds here have a reputation that precedes them, and after a night spent luxuriating, I’m soon calculating the financial practicalities of getting one myself.
The gel-topped beds at QT Melbourne have a reputation that precedes them
Kitted out with black steel, slate tiling and a retractable rippled glass privacy screen, the adjoining bathroom is functional and discreet. The aromatic (Malin+Goetz) amenities are a nice touch.
The mini-bar is no afterthought (think high-end snacks, wacky gifts and craft spirits) and I’m always a fan of a portable Bose Bluetooth speaker in hotel rooms (it’s time for hoteliers everywhere to ditch dated plug-in speakers).
After an afternoon nap on that bed, we venture down to check out the rest of the hotel.
On the ground floor there’s a gift shop, a cafe with an amazing patisserie, a Japanese-Korean laneway bar called Hot Sauce and, next door, a shop that sells handcrafted Japanese knives.
Pascale Bar & Grill shows off QT Melbourne’s quirky personality.
On the first floor, there’s fine dining restaurant Pascale Bar & Grill with chef Paul Easson at the helm.
Upstairs, the rooftop bar shows us exactly how rooftops should be done and I have to admit that, yes, QT does have a thing or two to teach Melbourne about its boutique hotel scene.
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The verdict
The arrival of QT adds a big dose of personality to Melbourne’s top-end hotel landscape. With excellent bars and dining, it’s as much a coup for locals as it is for visitors.
Score: 4/5 We rated: The unashamed glamour and extroversion of the place, the wow-factor of the rooftop and the supremely comfortable bed. We’d change: The gym. With small proportions and no water or towels on offer, it felt like an afterthought.
All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.
The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.
It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach, the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.
Bells Beach is known for its epic surf break and is at the start of the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet
The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road. Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.
The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)
After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.
This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.
Lorne to Birregurra
Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park, which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.
Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.
From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.
Erskine Falls is one of many falls within a day trip of Lorne. (Image: Visit Victoria)
You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae, helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.
Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Apollo Bay to The Otways
Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.
A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.
Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles
One of the famous Twelve Apostles, limestone sea stacks that rise from the Southern Ocean. (Image: Ben Savage)
The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.
It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.
The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)
Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.
Port Campbell to Timboon
Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)
Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream, Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.
Warrnambool to Port Fairy
A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)
In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.
Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.
The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
The Oak & Anchor in Port Fairy.
The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River.Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.
The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.
Eating there
The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.
Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.
