Sourcing the perfect lodging, for pleasure or business, is rarely as simple as a quick online search might imply; especially now, as the world scrambles to find its feet.
Our very recent redefinition of luxury means upmarket hotels can no longer rest on pillars of over-supply, fussy service and superfluous frills. Hospitality’s tone for 2022 has been set by markers of environment, experience, attention to detail and, more importantly than ever, connection.
Just 30 mins from the Melbourne CBD, Lancemore Mansion Hotel Weribee Park is a grand country estate with a private zoo. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
One Australian family-owned hotel collective was up early on New Year’s Day, grinding coffee, warming milk and superseding expectation, while most of us were barely stirring from slumber. The Lancemore Group has been living and breathing the new ordered luxury for 36 years, without need of a crystal ball. Dedication to excellence is simply the Lancemore Way.
Style and Substance of the Lancemore Six
In the way perceptive parents nurture siblings to assert their unique personality or talents, Lancemore family properties are carefully fostered to develop their own character. As a group they naturally share a set of standards and ethics, display some similar features and appreciate a certain aesthetic, but overall, they’ve been created to embrace individuality.
The styling of Lancemore Crossley St reflect is central Melbourne Location. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Pre-eminent Australian architects and designers were handpicked for their ability to not only applaud, but dance with, the environment of each location. As a happy consequence, the Lancemore properties enjoy moonlighting as informal ambassadors for the city or region in which they’re anchored.
Influenced by the spirit of their surrounds, interiors feature dusky palates with hints of rich dark colour, or swathes of fresh, neutrals tones – leaning well into the camp of relaxation over formality, in true Australian style.
The balcony overlooks the beach and sea at Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Natural resources such as timber or stone help bring the outdoors in, and mood, day or night, is adjustable through cleverly co-ordinated lighting and a glorious love of lamps. State-of-the-art tech is streamlined to make life easier, not more complicated.
Personal and common areas alike promise all-round comfort; furnishings of sublime quality and feel are selected without compromise and surfaces are embellished with specially curated artworks, sumptuously illustrated books and enviable curios. Additional zones at each premises are deliberately plotted for privacy whether convening or escaping. Lancemore’s soothing environments are purposefully designed to ensure guests leave feeling rejuvenated – mind, body and soul.
The Peninsula Lounge at Lancemore Lindenderry on the Mornington Peninsula VIC. (Image Rhiannon Taylor)
Lancemore’s luxe locations
Extraordinary consideration goes into the positioning of all Lancemore’s boutique properties, always with the objective of tempting, but never pushing, guests to engage with their destination. Lancemore is so much more than ‘just a room’.
The rooftop bar at Lancemore Crossley St, Melbourne. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Take their newborn for example, Melbourne’s Lancemore Crossley St., housed in a building by renowned 1950s’ architect Graeme Gunn, in an atmospheric lane off the Paris-end of Bourke Street. From its inception, the hotel was conceptualised as a seamless extension of its sophisticated and cultural surrounds known for theatres, lofty galleries, superb restaurants and cafes and a constellation of Melbourne’s famous laneway bars you need to visit.
The Melbourne CBD from a room at Lancemore Crossley St. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Creativity flows throughout the building, from the Art Deco-inspired lobby bar to the rooftop terrace’s city views and guests are encouraged to treat the hotel as their own sleek city pad, coming and going as they please or even staying in to watch the passing parade. If you’ve missed the vibrancy of city life lately, a stay-cay doesn’t get much better than this.
The dog friendly Larmont Sydney by Lancemore. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Of course, if you’re soulfully seeking Sydney, you’re destined to encounter Larmont Sydney by Lancemore. Situated just minutes from the CBD in leafy Potts Point, the hotel is elevated enough to capture sparkling water views, as well as the city lights. Like it’s Melbourne counterpart, this property is fixed in an embrace of hip bars and foodie hotspots, cutting edge boutiques and art spaces platforming emerging talent.
The library at the Larmont Sydney by Lancemore. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
An ideal ‘home away from home’; you’re welcome to take your pet with you even if you reside in Sydney; it might take a stay here to truly revel in the essence of the harbour city.
Alternatively, Lancemore is armed to gently step you away from the city, offering bespoke accommodation in four stunning, regional destinations where the focus revolves around themes of wellness, and incredible food and wine.
Lancemore Flavour
Rest assured if your internal clock is set to ‘get away from it all’ Lancemore’s regional team have already rolled out their vibrant green carpet in anticipation of your arrival, and are busy tailoring an immersive adventure. Whether discovering the rolling hills of wine country with glass in hand, picnicking on a white-sand beach just a shuffle away or treating your body to a harmonious rejuve – at least one of this select group’s retreats has your name on the door. The only downside is choosing between them.
Lancemore Milawa is in the heart of the vines and olive groves of the Milawa gourmet region. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
With just 40 rooms each, Victoria’s Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill and Lancemore Milawa might be two of the more petite siblings but they’re bursting with charm.
The guest-only Peninsula Lounge at Lancemore Lindenderry. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Nestled in the Mornington Peninsula’s dreamy hinterland, surrounded by 34 acres of working vineyard and gardens, Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill is positioned perfectly for soaking up the magnificent landscape and Mornington’s many cool-climate vineyards, famous for its chardonnay and pinot noir. Contemporary interiors blend European country style with distinctly Australian accents, transporting you much further away than the hour’s drive south-east of Melbourne city would indicate. Mornington’s fertile soil also grows some of Victoria’s best artisan produce and it’s lovingly showcased on the paddock-to-plate menu at The Dining Room, the hotel’s in-house restaurant.
The Dining Room at Lancemore Lindenderry. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Decompress from a long coastal walk or a friendly tennis tournament with a float in the indoor pool or a purifying sauna, then grab a book and cosy up fireside in one of the five tranquil lounge rooms. Voted by Conde Nast Traveler as ‘one of the best’ on a list of Australian and New Zealand hotels, four years running, Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill is an ideal luxury escape for food and wine.
Lunch in the garden at Lancemore Milawa. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Offering an alternative but equally delicious vantage point is Lancemore’s Milawa – an enchanting country estate secluded in a mountain setting not far from the NSW border and just a short drive from the esteemed vineyards of King Valley or gorgeous Beechworth.
Despite the distance between the two, Milawa and Red Hill share parallel dispositions – each centred in the enticing food bowl of their region. Onsite Restaurant Merlot gazes over lush pastoral lands and is renowned for cuisine that highlights the sublime food and wines of the region across a rustic, menu influenced by the Mediterranean and Middle East.
The Lancemore Duo of Wellness and wonder
For some, the ultimate in wellness equates to days of indulgent mind and body pampering; and the incomparable L.M. Spa experience has just what the doctor ordered.
Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park is one of the ‘spa’ hotels in the Lancemore portfolio. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Available at just two of Lancemore’s illustrious properties, L.M. Spa offers an extensive list of invigorating skin and body treatments and packages including facials, massage and body polishes, and steam therapy in the beautiful hammam chamber.
Within 30 minutes of Melbourne CBD, the ultra-grand Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park, operates in one wing of an exquisitely restored 19th century estate, set among four hectares of ornate English gardens.
Joseph’s Dining at Lancermore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Face to face with the foyer’s cascading staircase, Bridgerton-esque flashbacks may ensue but, when sense and sensibility settles, you’ll note the premises, including formal library with roaring fireplace and sleek snooker salon, are fashioned with contemporary, cosmopolitan flair.
While the prestigious property attracts weddings and other special events there’s no need to wait for an invitation. A lavish Devonshire high tea, a meal in Joseph’s Dining or a walk through Werribee Park are worth the drive alone.
Drinks by the pool under the swaying palm trees at Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
A short drive from Cairns, under swaying coconut trees, you’ll find the only beachfront hotel in Palm Cove. Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore entertains a completely different outlook to Werribee Park, but a shared dedication to immersive wellness and healing, via L.M. Spa offerings, maintains the duo’s bond.
Located on Palm Cove’s salty shoreline, buffered by untouched islands, coral cays, and the underwater wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, these elegant self-contained suite-style apartments are equally well positioned for rainforest discovery or whale and dolphin watching.
Airy interiors hum a soft, tropical tune in homage to endless Coral Sea vistas. A combination of breezy communal lounges, private rooftop pool pavilions, chilled out games rooms and excellent beachfront dining, at award-winning Nu Nu restaurant adjacent, add up to one blissed-out sabbatical.
The Lancemore Way
If you stay in the world’s most glamourous and exorbitantly priced hotel and the staff aren’t invested in you or your stay experience, you might as well be camping in a typhoon.
The vines of the Milawa gourmet region from the Lancemore Milawa. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
From the moment you enter any Lancemore property you’re instantly assured that you’re not only truly welcome, but that you will be taken good care of. Little details like freshly cut flowers, a conveniently placed bowl of fruit, genuine smiles or being swiftly issued an umbrella on a rainy day, make for an impactful first impression. But it’s the sustained layering of astute, attentive service that sets a Lancemore stay apart.
Your home in the heart of Melbourne CBD, Lancemore Crossley St. (Image: Rhiannon Taylor)
Whether it’s a bespoke tour around the property, a personalised map of where to eat, drink or best experience the locale, arranging your most precious event or simply demonstrating the true art of listening, the Lancemore crew are the real deal in hospitality. No matter which Lancemore you stay with, it’s impossible not to feel special when you leave.
Find your boutique stay of 2022 at Lancemore.com.au
by Jane Lawson
