Luxury Escapes: Season 1, Episode 1 – Dubai & Melbourne from Luxury Escapes on Vimeo.

On this week’s episode of Luxury Escapes: The World’s Best Holidays, host Shane Jolley took viewers to cosmopolitan Melbourne.  Voted the world’s most liveable city five years running. The vibrant music and arts scene, numerous hidden laneways and strong food culture, along with its position as Australia’s sporting capital means there is always something new and exciting to uncover, even if you’re a local.

Whether you’re visiting for a week, a weekend or you’re simply venturing into the city for the day – we have you covered with our ultimate 24-hour guide to Melbourne.

Didn’t catch the first episode on Channel 7 this past Saturday? Watch it online here.

Breakfast

According to our presenter Shane, “the best way to start a luxury escape in Melbourne is with a good breakfast.” And as he discovered in episode 1, when you want a good breakfast you simply can’t go past the Grand Hyatt Melbourne.

Jason Camillo and his kitchen team have won the esteemed Gourmet Traveller Best Breakfast Award two years running, which is no easy feat when you consider Melbourne’s insatiable passion for breakfast.

With more people eating breakfast out than any other meal, Melbourne has seen a huge surge in breakfast and brunch options. Jason accredits the shift to the city’s culture. “In Melbourne, I think it’s about the culture and the coffee culture. What goes with coffee? A great breakfast!”

To view our exclusive Grand Hyatt Melbourne offer, click here.

Morning

Melbourne is renowned for the way it has incorporated art into the city landscape. As Shane noted in episode 1 of Luxury Escapes: The World’s Best Holidays, “Melbourne is literally an urban canvas with many of its laneways depicting the talents of both local and international artists, there are also so many fantastic galleries here and walking art tours are the latest craze to sweep the city.”

Spend your day discovering the artwork dotted around the city with Walk to Art’s wonderfully eclectic tour.

“For me, it’s all about the little, hidden places. It’s the places without any signage, the places you don’t know about…it’s these laneways, it’s that sense of discovery that I love about Melbourne,” says tour guide Bernadette Alibrando. Her last word of advice: “If you don’t go down the laneways then you won’t discover!”

Lunch

With more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in Australia, you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to dining out in Melbourne. Everywhere you turn in the city you’ll find restaurants waiting to entice you inside.

After spending the morning exploring the city on foot, we recommend backtracking to a café or restaurant that piqued your interest during the tour. Remember, there are numerous quirky, one-of-a-kind restaurants waiting to be explored so don’t be afraid to wander down laneways like Degraves St, located opposite the iconic Flinders Street Station for a variety of choices.

Afternoon

By now you’re well-deserving of a drink and Shane recommends stopping by Ru-CO Bar at the Grand Hyatt for the perfect mix of art and atmosphere. Sit down, put your feet up and peruse the extensive list of signature cocktails, craft beers, an impressive list of single malt whiskies and cognacs, and a wine list drawn from over 2,700 premium bottles.

While you’re here, you’ll probably notice the distinct three heads that adorn the bar. As Shane found out in episode 1, they’re the work of local artist Bruce Armstrong; “The way these evolve for me is that I worked in with the architect and what he had in mind with the design. I tried to make them quite contrasting between one and the other, so you end up looking up and down at them the same way you do with people in the bar or at a party,” Armstrong divulged to Shane.

The sculptures have been such a hit with guests that the team at Ru-CO Bar decided to create a signature cocktail for each head. The most popular one is the Incognito, a vodka-based cocktail that involves a sprig of rosemary being lit on fire, as seen in episode 1.

To view our exclusive Grand Hyatt Melbourne offer, click here.

Dinner

With a reputation as one of Melbourne’s best restaurants, it’s time to treat yourself to dinner at Lume Restaurant for a multi-sensory experience. Head Chef Shaun Quade has a hand in every dish, literally – the man personally sources ingredients. As he explained in episode 1, this hands-on approach can find him handpicking seaweed at 3.30am to craft the ‘pearl on the ocean floor’ dish.

Word of advice: make sure you leave plenty of room as the number of courses can range from four to sixteen – depending on which tasting menu you choose.

Evening

Many consider Melbourne to be the music capital of Australia, as Shane found out when he caught up with singer Hette Kate and musician James Mustofa, “There is a big creative scene in Melbourne and it’s certainly recognised on an international level,” explained James.

So a trip to Melbourne really isn’t complete without experiencing part of this scene for yourself. You can’t go wrong at The Paris Cat Jazz Club, which has been at the forefront of the Australian jazz scene for the past ten years. The iconic venue showcases both new and established talent, with a cool bar vibe, making it the ideal place to pop in for an after-dinner drink while taking in the live music.

Join Shane on his trip to Melbourne when you catch up on the full episode here.

And don’t forget to tune into Channel 7 this Saturday for the next exciting episode of Luxury Escapes: The World’s Best Holidays.