highlightCategory: Stay

Where to rest your head at night

MACq 01 Hobart

According to a new study conducted by luxury hotel MACq 01, the majority of Australians are in their ‘don’t get enough sleep’ era. And with bills to worry about, new episodes of your favourite Netflix series to watch, snoring partners and keeping tabs on Taylor Swift’s whereabouts, it’s little wonder.

Our favourite takeaways from the survey, conducted by Tasmanian luxury hotel MACq 01, include the fact that one in ten people have been kept awake because their pet sleeps in their bed, 8% of people have fallen asleep on the toilet, 4% have fallen asleep on a stranger’s shoulder, 7% have had a kip in a nightclub or pub and 5% have nodded off during sex. Wow.

MACq 01 has come up with a solution, or at least, an incentive. They care about your sleep, and the quality of it, just as much as your Apple watch does. For the next couple of months, this Hobart stay is offering travellers the chance to cut $100 off their bill for every hour of sleep they get over 6 hours. Meaning, 6 hours of sleep is the starting line, and 9 sweet, glorious hours is the finish line. The official holding the gun? A sleep analyser.

Yep, this Slumber Suite program allows you to not only get a decent, never-really-heard-of/swear-its-a-unicorn amount of sleep but to also bag your night for free. And the room does most of the heavy lifting.

The Slumber Suite is a carefully curated waterside room with scientifically backed lighting and temperature control for optimal sleepiness, a drowsy-generating bathroom set-up, a perfectly weighted blanket, a pillow menu and specially chosen room scents. If you can’t get 9 hours here, your brain hates you. Or you’re a robot.

There’s even a sleepy food and drink menu, so you can hit up room service before settling down for a marathon snooze-fest. The minimum stay is two nights, but you’ll enjoy it so much, you might never want to leave.

Namia River Retreat

Forget R & R, Hoi An’s newest river retreat will have you feeling on top of the world, or at least, on top of the Thu Bon River. But that’s not what makes this place unique.

Every villa has its own private pool. As in, you don’t have to share the salt water with anyone else; not with the solo traveller from suite 29 or the OTT honeymooning couple that keep macking on in the welcome lounge.

If that wasn’t enough to get you booking a one-way ticket to Vietnam, the resort also has a saltwater swimming pool with 180-degree views of the Thu Bon River. It has a waterfall, several jets and a dedicated foot reflexology space. Talk about wiping out the competition with a single amenity.

Once your fingertips are all nice and crinkly, drag yourself out of the pool(s) to experience Namia River Retreat’s wellness therapies or take part in one of their traditional activities. From herbal hammams and riverboat dinner cruises to lantern lighting ceremonies and silent meditation walks, this place wants you to feel culturally connected, spiritually healed and deliriously happy. Mission accomplished.

There’s only one catch: you’ll have to wait ‘til December for its grand opening. On a positive note, that’s just enough time to figure out how to tell your boss you’re taking an extended break over Christmas.

The Rox, Hobart

This place first opened its doors in 1880 (that’s like, the year your grandfather’s grandfather was born). It was a boys-only school back then and now it’s a part of a collection of boutique apartments.

But The Rox is a tale of two halves.

Two renovated apartments sit in the original building. Yes, the wooden desks and blackboards are long gone, but the authentic sandstone, brickwork and timber floorboards remain. Along with all the amenities you’ve come to expect from accommodation in this decade—think open plan living, fully functioning kitchen and walk-in showers.

Two newer, more modern, apartments sit in the recently developed construction next door. They might not have the same history behind them, but one of them is a penthouse, so, enough said really.

But the ‘cool’ doesn’t stop there.

These four residences are in Midtown, one of Hobart’s trendiest neighbourhoods. Café-hop and eclectic-shop during the day, before heading back to enjoy dinner at your pick of the city’s most coveted hotspots: Omotenashi or Institut Polaire. One’s in-house and the other promises skip-the-line access just because you stay at The Rox.

And if you want somewhere to go after hours, there’s plenty of late-night hangouts to choose from. All within walking distance. It’s a yes from us.

The Arc of Life

You know the tropical paradise you dream about at 3.30pm on a Tuesday afternoon, when you’re supposed to be listening to Mike, the Assistant General Manager of Accounts, give his quarterly report?

Arcadia on Pandanan Island feels like that dream. Based on the miniscule island of Pandanan in Malaysia’s Sabah region, off the coast of Borneo, the hotel is the ideal place for a wholesome eco-adventure with some besties or your special bestie.

There’s an Arcadia Hotel in Toorak, Melbourne; a pub with the nickname ‘The Shark Park’ due to the kind of clientele that frequent it. But there are no sharks at Arcadia Beach Resort.

The waters are teeming with life – get lost’s Editor saw more turtles (green sea and hawksbill) in the three days he spent at Arcadia than he has combined for his entire life up until that point.

It’s unbelievably well set up for the ‘Gram, if that’s your thing. The rooms are all white, giving off Greek island vibes. But for us, it’s the diving, swimming, snorkelling and island hopping (pictured above – nearby island Bohey Dulang) – all of which are elite.

The word Arcadia actually loosely means to be in harmony with nature, or in a utopia.

You’ll be just that at Arcadia.

Fall in love with Winderdome Resort

Excuse us if we sound dramatic, but we’re pretty sure we’ve found the best dome accommodation in British Columbia. Winderdome Resort came from turning lemons into lemonade as owners Deb and David explain. Having always wanted to show off the land and valley they love, they kicked into gear as most things were shut down during the pandemic. “It was our dream to create a place and an experience where people could come to rest, relax, and maybe even celebrate life’s special moments.”. Deb did her best at creating blueprints, David deciphered them like they were the Da Vinci Code – and with the help of many people around them they were able to open Winderdome Resort in 2022.

Canada, especially the west coast, is known for enjoying the outdoors. British Columbia is home to some of the best mountains and lakes, providing great opportunities to ski, hike, boat, fish, surf, paddle, kayak… look, if it’s an outdoor activity – you can do it in BC. The location of Winderdome Resort in Windermere provides you with a breathtaking location to relax while having you perfectly positioned to enjoy the attractions you around you. Like Swansea Mountain which has a plethora of hiking options, Windermere Lake, Radium Hot Springs in the north and Fairmont Hot Springs in the south – both just a 15-minute drive in each direction. And if you’re after 100% natural hot springs, you’ll find them at Lussier hot springs which is less than an hour south. With four hot spring pools to choose from, all with varying temperatures, it is the ideal location to sit back and take in the views of the river and mountains around you.

In winter you can take a 5-minute trip to Lake Windermere and skate across the world’s longest skating path – The Whiteway. A 34km groomed track that runs around the lake and connects the towns of Invermere and Windermere, making it a great way to explore in winter. After you’ve discovered muscles you haven’t felt or known about going across Whiteway, you can retreat to Winderdome Resort to rest and warm up. Even in the depths of winter, Deb and David make sure they crank the heating to ensure you’re nice and toasty. With three domes to choose from you can find the one that best suits your personality and taste.

Wolf Dome is decked out in rich greens that it will have you feeling like you’re in Emerald City. With red draped all around, Bear Dome is perfect for Taylor Swift and fans alike. Cougar Dome, which we thought would have the cougar uniform of leopard print is in fact filled with beautiful blues and navy.

Each dome sleeps up to 4 people with 1 king bed and 2 twin beds in the loft plus they’re fitted out with a kitchenette and bathroom, so you don’t need to worry about hiking across the sight to go to the loo. You can also chill out in the communal BBQ and pools areas that have plenty of shade on offer as well. Never underestimate that BC sun.

With prices starting from $250 a night, it almost feels like Winderdome Resort are paying you to stay there. Talk about value for money.

Byron has a new bae

Drifter

noun
a person who is continually moving from place to place, without any fixed home or job.

Reading that definition makes it clear that Drifter is the perfect name for the design-led and experience-focused lifestyle brand. Drifter isn’t a hotel and it’s not a hostel – it’s revolutionising accommodation by creating a hybrid.

Byron Bay is a destination hot-spot and while there is a wide variety of accommodation, some may worry that what they’re after may be out of their budget. This is where Drifter comes in, bringing in a hybrid between hostel and hotel, offering superior private suites and premium shared bunk rooms plus an array of communal spaces. From co-working and wellness spaces, to bars and dining, it will have everything you need for a short weekend away or longer stay. Even a wellbeing studio – very on brand for Byron.

Leisure Accommodation Collective (LA Co) is getting ready to make a splash in the market opening this location, plus one in New Zealand later this year followed by another two locations in 2025.

Drifter Byron Bay will open its doors in June 2024 featuring 52 rooms with private and shared spaces, an enticing outdoor area with a sundeck, firepit and plunge pools as well as entertaining areas.

In May 2024 Christchurch will have their turn to show why Drifters is the future of hybrid accommodation, boasting 95 rooms mixed between private and shared spaces, a welcoming co-working space and wellness space when it’s time to unwind plus a 150-seat bar. Cheers!

A 12th century palace becomes a 21st century palace

Nobis Hotel Palma, on the ridiculously attractive island of Mallorca, is a ridiculously attractive retreat set in a former 12th-century Muslim palace.

It’s still a palace in some respects, although less of a place of worship, we imagine. It’s been restored in a beautiful cross of Spanish and Scandanavian design; two architecture styles that usually get it right as is. There’s a cosy cocktail lounge, a rooftop terrace with a stage, a spa, and an indoor pool that has the look of an ancient roman bath, so you can feel like Nero while taking a dip.

We love hotels that don’t try and overdo it, and with 37 rooms, Nobis still feels beautifully intimate compared to some of the mega-hotels you could stay at in Mallorca.

We had no idea Mallorca had an Islamic history, but there are plenty of nods throughout the hotel to its ancient past, making it as much of walk down history lane as it is a decadent luxury stay.

when 24 hours isn’t enough

You’re staying at a hotel, you’ve got a bit of downtime, you’re looking for something to do.

There’s a 500-plus vinyl collection on the first floor, or a Walkman station if cassettes are more your vibe. Maybe you want to go for a drive, so you rent one of the hotel’s MINIs or cruise ride around on one of the Schindelhauer Bikes that are hanging around the hotel.

Fancy the movie ‘Ghost’? Have a crack at pottery making (hopefully without cracks, but hopefully with a Patrick Swayze-like hunk guiding your hands) in the pottery and artist studio. Got an idea for a podcast? Record it in the podcast studio.

If you’re wondering if a hotel offering all this exists – it does. The 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central packs a lot in – and we mean a lot.

What’s incredibly cool about this joint is how extra it all is – in many ways a reflection of its location. The sheer breadth of activities available to each person is so OTT, and so Dubai.

There’s a Farmstay Suite (including hammock and double rainfall shower). The Medium Bedouin draws influence from when Bedouins once resided in Dubai. On top of a luxurious king-size bed there’s a unique rainfall shower in the middle of the room (wtf?) and a hanging chair to kick back and chill.

For true Dubai glam you’ve got to experience the Hakawati Suite. Hakawati means storyteller in Arabic and while that theme features throughout One Central, it’s in this suite that it goes to another level. There’s the “Sheikh-sized” TRIPLE king bed, a double bath, two bars, 10-seat dining area, fireplace and for when it’s time to party – a DJ corner and dancefloor. The suite also interconnects with two additional bedrooms through a secret staircase. Yes, all in one suite. This is Dubai after all.

There’s obviously a rooftop pool with a Pool Bar, and even more obviously a cinema. Tough to leave when the suite is that good. You can request to have a trunk delivered to you with old-school VHS tapes, vinyls, a typewriter and polaroids to help you really disconnect and tap into your creative side.

 

Stay in a 16th century convent

Eat. Rent. Repent. Repeat.

This is the order of the Order of St Clare, who have responded to rising costs that were affecting their pastry business by renting out rooms as AirBnBs in their 16th century convent.

In the description, “peace… light and calm” are all offered from a stay at Convent of Saint Mary of Jesus Airbnb.

We don’t expect this one to be a raucous party accommodation, and we’d advise getting your sins out before you stay, which means no profanities and certainly no orgies.

The convent is still the same one the nuns sleep and work in from day-to-day, although the apartments are based in a different block.

These is hardly the humble abode of those devoted to a life of religion; a large private patio allows you to take in the blue Seville sky, and there’s a coffee maker, orange juicer, water heater for infusions, big T.V and even an outdoor shower, which is kind of niche and unexpected.

The convent is based in the ridiculously attractive city of Seville, in the southern part of Spain, which is a huge plus.

THE OLD AND THE NEW IN SINGAPORE

Brand new in Singapore, 21 Carpenter is a hotel where history buffs and modern, art-deco minimalist-types can live in harmony – not always the case.

It’s blends old-world Singapore – think relics, inscriptions and phrases from the building’s history dating back to the 1930s as an old remittance house – with an exquisite, minimalistic luxury which is sure to win the hearts of architecture and design enthusiasts.

The building really is something to behold; sleek, modern art deco meets brutalist concrete, the latter inscribed with real-life messages from 1930s immigrants who would visit the building to send money home to their families.

It’s location on a busy urban street fades away when you step inside, where a rooftop pool and large open spaces remind you that you’re in a luxury hotel, and not in the 1930s (don’t think infinity pool cocktails were a thing back then).

There’s also a sick garden terrace to hang out in, for when you need a refuge from the hustle and bustle of 2024 Singapore.

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