Perched upon Newcombe Street and offering sweeping views of Port Phillip Bay, the You Yangs and Melbourne's skyline, the Portarlington Grand Hotel has served as a regional landmark since 1888. And after being acquired in 2019 by the Little Group, which operates Port Phillip Ferries, the hotel has undergone a $10 million dollar refurbishment to transform into a boutique seaside escape.
That's not to say the hotel has lost its Victorian-era charm; in fact, it's quite the opposite. With the help of Melbourne-based architects Technē Architecture + Interior Design (the Esplanade Hotel, Garden State Hotel), the renovation has preserved the building's heritage aspects (including the turret, grand staircase, façade and ornamental fireplaces and archways) while carefully introducing modern detailing. While it still harkens back to the golden age of Port Phillip Bay, the hotel is now home to 18 boutique rooms as well as four dining spaces: the Front Bar, the Bistro, the Atrium and the Lawn.
The Atrium is a greenhouse-style beer garden offering sunshine and seaside views, and the connected Lawn has a beachside holiday shack feel with abundant picnic tables and bright yellow-and-white umbrellas. During the colder winter months, the Front Bar and the Bistro are an obvious choice with their roaring wood fires and warm, country town pub feel.
While planning the redesign, the Little Group felt it was paramount that the space didn't edge out locals and instead catered both to residents and visitors. For this reason, punters will always find Carlton Draught on tap alongside craft beers and $18 cocktails, and the kitchen will churn out parmas, steaks and wood-fired pizzas alongside seafood risottos and chicken liver and cognac parfaits.
For those looking to stay the night, guests can choose between quieter rooms overlooking the Atrium or hand-painted mural on the western wall, or bay rooms featuring private balconies overlooking the vistas. The heritage-inspired rooms span across two levels, with interiors furnished with framed historic photographs and pieces by Melbourne-based company Zuster Furniture. The juxtaposition of old and new feels timeless and luxurious, giving guests a glimpse into the hotel's rich past while also ensuring they feel pampered.
There are also two accessible rooms for guests in wheelchairs or with limited mobility, and these rooms are near the lift and are designed with larger entryways and spacious bathrooms with open, roll-in showers. All bathrooms are kitted out with hand and body soaps and two-in-one shampoo and conditioner by Natural Remedies in a foresty sage and blackcurrant scent.
The hotel, which opens to the public from August 1, is just a 70-minute ferry journey from Melbourne Docklands. Once you dock at the Portarlington Pier and step off the boat, you'll immediately catch sight of the hotel's grand façade, and arrive at its doorstep after a five-minute walk up the grassy knoll. While there's heaps to do just within the four walls of the hotel, you'll have the Esplanade, Portarlington Swimming Beach, Portarlington Recreation Reserve and the quaint strip of Newcombe at your fingertips.
Time Out tip: Keen on catching the ferry for a day trip, but worried about missing the journey home? No worries – a half-hour before the final ferry is set to depart, the hotel rings a warning bell. That's plenty of time for one last drink before making the quick five-minute walk down to the pier.
Adena Maier stayed as a guest of the Portarlington Grand Hotel.
