{"id":47296,"date":"2026-03-18T13:51:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T02:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/luxuryescapes.com\/inspiration\/?p=47296"},"modified":"2026-03-25T07:58:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T20:58:48","slug":"bellarine-peninsula-new-hotels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luxuryescapes.com\/inspiration\/bellarine-peninsula-new-hotels\/","title":{"rendered":"Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula is Having a New Hotel Moment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A landmark Queenscliff hotel is reopening, Portarlington\u2019s grande dame has had a refresh and Geelong has welcomed a brand-new Crowne Plaza.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long loved for its wineries, seaside towns and easy access from Melbourne, the Bellarine Peninsula<\/a> has always been an easy weekend yes. Now three significant new and revitalised stays \u2014 two of them heritage restorations \u2013 are making a stronger case than ever to actually book a room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what\u2019s new across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A historic icon returns in Queenscliff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"-\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"-\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After sitting empty for seven years, the Queenscliff Hotel has finally reopened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First built in 1888 by the architects behind the Royal Exhibition Building, the Queen Anne landmark was once the weekend escape of choice for Melbourne’s elite, who’d arrive by paddle steamer and stay in style. New owners Rob and Tammy Charter spent three years restoring it in close consultation with Heritage Victoria, bringing back original tessellated tiles, ornate cornicing, stained-glass windows and working fireplaces. Most dramatically, the hotel’s turreted viewing tower has been returned to its original open-air design \u2013 climb to the top and the view across Queenscliff hasn’t changed much in 130 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel now offers 12 suites, four dining venues (including Miettas, an Italian-inspired restaurant championing Bellarine produce), and a bathhouse retreat in the works. For a town of its size, it’s a welcome \u2013 and long-overdue \u2013 addition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portarlington’s Grand Hotel: still the best seat on the bay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"-\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"-\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Portarlington Grand Hotel <\/a>has been transformed. The original balconies were long gone, the interiors had seen better days \u2013 but after a $10 million renovation led by Melbourne architects Techn\u0113, the 1888 heritage building is back to something close to its original grandeur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Original balustrading was discovered in a shed on the property and used to cast new replacements; the grand fa\u00e7ade and staircase carefully restored, and a second balcony added to recapture what had been lost. Inside, 18 boutique rooms sit alongside four distinct dining spaces \u2013 from the casual Atrium beer garden to the Bistro’s signature Portarlington mussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owned by the Little Group, which also runs Port Phillip Ferries, the hotel is a 70-minute ferry ride from Melbourne Docklands. They even ring a bell 30 minutes before each departure, so there’s no excuse for missing the boat home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t