Eight one-of-a-kind hotel stays in Melbourne

Six vintage 1970s Airstream caravans form Notel, the "No Hotel" plunked on top of a CBD carpark. Whoever said we’d reached peak Melbourne clearly did not anticipate this. Each Airstream has been completely gutted and fitted out with comfortable furnishings and touches like a rainfall showerhead and Bluetooth speaker. They are decorated internally in hues of pink, from soft blush to salmon. The wall adjoining one side of the rooftop was painted by street artist Ash Keating, who used fire extinguishers full of paint to turn a boring CBD office building into a lurid pink-and-orange explosion of colour and joy. And yeah, it'll look very good on the 'gram. The most one-of-a-kind of all is the 'Airstream with benefits', which includes a private hot tub overlooking Flinders Street. 

Yes, the W Hotel in Melbourne is one of many ultra-luxe W Hotels around the world and part of the Marriott group. But what makes this one a particularly attractive option for a one-of-a-kind stay is the 1,755-square-metre Extreme Wow suite. The penthouse suite is less of a hotel room and more of an ultra-luxury apartment, complete with huge marble bathroom with freestanding tub and rainfall showerhead, separate dining room with eight chairs at the dining room table, separate lounge room, balcony, interactive sound system and river views over Melbourne from floor-to-ceiling windows. If you want ultra-luxe living you won't find anywhere else, the W Melbourne is it.

Stepping to the lobby feels more like entering an art gallery than a hotel; a striking frog sculpture (by veteran Australian artist John Olsen, of course) sets the scene, and a curated collection of Olsen’s bright and beautiful paintings are dotted throughout the property. If you’re going all-out, then you can’t go past the John Olsen Penthouse, which features an outdoor spa, timber dining table, Bose sound system, gas open fireplace, sun lounge, barbecue and stunning views of colourful city lights reflected in the nearby Yarra River. But the real secret of the Olsen is its glass-bottomed pool overhanging Chapel Street, where you can swim and people watch at the same time.

Dripping in old-world charm and the glamour of a bygone era, this grand dame is really something special. The hotel opened its doors in 1883 and has welcomed guests such as Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Gregory Peck, Anthony Hopkins, Malcolm Fraser, Gough Whitlam, Robert Menzies and Metallica. The décor here is understated and refined, with tasteful furnishings, soaring ceilings and pretty leadlight accents. The rooms themselves are elegant, with marble bathrooms and soft linens and towels. If you really want to splash out, the 122-square-metre Victorian Suite is grand and elegant, with a dining room, separate lounge and second bedroom. Huge windows on both sides make the suite feel more like an upper-class 19th-century pied-â-terre than a hotel room. No other hotel can come close to matching the Windsor for charm.

Quick, what are Melbourne's favourite kind of streets? Laneways, of course, and at this hip hotel you'll be in a microcosm of the city's tiny streets. Whether you’re staying in the cosy studio or splurging on a penthouse suite, fun is front and centre. With interesting touches like chalkboards, pinball machines and colourful murals throughout the property, there is nothing generic about this hotel, which is well-suited to travellers who want to make the most of the enviable location right in the thick of it on Little Bourke Street. Of all the extras on offer, the free mini bar is the obvious winner.

Just 30 minutes from Melbourne, the Lancemore Mansion Hotel in Werribee feels like another world – and another time. The wealthy Chirnside family built the 60-room Italianate mansion in 1877, and at one point there were 55 staff to look after five family members. You can pretend you are one of the pampered Chirnsides yourself if you stay at the attached hotel, which was opened in 2000 after the mansion was lovingly restored. After the Chirnsides sold the mansion to the Catholic Church, St Joseph's Seminary was added to the property in 1923. It was built to emulate and complement the 19th-century architecture, and the heritage rooms in the property are former student and priest accommodation. The avant-garde modern wing was opened in 2000, and it offers larger rooms, with the same attention to detail and historical appreciation.  

It is not an exaggeration to say Jackalope has changed the Mornington Peninsula. The cutting-edge, ultra-luxe hotel is what you might expect to find in New York's uber-hip Meatpacking District, not set among rolling hills and gently swaying vines. Just what is a jackalope? In American folklore, a jackalope is a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope. It's usually pictured as a rabbit with antlers, and it has been appearing in American myths and legends for hundreds of years. The mishmash of seemingly incongruous things in order to create something beautiful, whimsical and a little bit otherworldy is at the heart of everything Jackalope does. It's boutique, with only 45 rooms, which is small enough to make every guest feel special and appreciated. The staff are very attentive, showing you to your room and familiarising you with all the whiz-bang accoutrements and luxurious touches therein. Many rooms have as their centrepiece a deep, black stone bath, which staff will draw for you on request (it takes about half an hour to get it to the right level). If you do indulge in a bath, make it extra special with a few spoonfuls of Jackalope's bespoke bath salts, made with grapes from the property. 

Yes, really. You can sleep at Werribee Open Range Zoo and wake up to the sounds of lions and other animals greeting the day. If you book a ticket for the Slumber Safari, you'll go on a safari tour at dusk, when many animals are at their most active. Afterwards, kick back on your own private deck with a glass of wine, then enjoy an African-inspired dinner. The lodge at Werribee Open Range Zoo is comfortable and luxurious, with views across the zoo's African savannah. Breakfast is also included, as well as the chance to stroll around the zoo before the doors open to the general public. If waking up to a giraffe peering in your window isn't a one-of-a-kind stay, we don't know what is.