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Located on Melbourne's Yarra River, Crown Towers offers luxury rooms, great food and service, as well as its own in-house Crown Spa.
Crown Towers deluxe suite
Crown Towers pool
Crown Day Spa
Check in and take the time to survey the original artworks that hang in each suite, as well as the panoramic views of the city or Port Phillip Bay. Linger in the gleaming oasis of marble and soaring ceilings that is Crown Spa. It combines great facilities, including two tennis courts and a glass walled gymnasium, with a complete range of health and therapeutic treatments, such as hydrotherapy, massages and facials.
Head out but don't venture too far. If you love to shop Crown has collected the fashion creations of the world’s leading designers under the one roof.
For car-free shopping, cafes and a glimpse of the designer community, head off the grid and into the 'little' streets the lanes and arcades.
Nicholas Building / Swanston Street
Glitzern / Crossley Street
Von Haus / Crossley Street
But first, lunch. Translated from the Italian to mean 'Everything's good', Tutto Bene is a traditional-style Italian eatery that lives up to its name. Renowned for their superlative risotto, and an ever-changing array of award-winning gelato, the Southgate restaurant also serves up great views of the Melbourne skyline.
Wander back over the river and plunge into the narrow lanes and arcades of the CBD. Located where the boutiques and designer showrooms of Flinders Lane meets Swanston Street, The Nicholas Building is a 10-storey landmark where you will find local and imported fashions, studios and specialist outlets.
On Little Collins Street, discover local designers and jewellers and fashion for the chaps. Then wander to Crossley Street (off Bourke Street) for handmade tailored shirts, contemporary jewellery, and vintage couture.
Wafts of ginger, chilli, shallots and coriander will lead you to an early dinner at Melbourne favourite Gingerboy.
Gingerboy
Gingerboy
WICKED / Original Broadway Cast
Like many great Melbourne restaurants Gingerboy is tucked away on a city laneway. But this one announces itself with a blazing neon sign. A modern and stylish take on the south east Asian hawker markets of Hong Kong and Bangkok, Gingerboy serves hot and spicey snacks and 'street' food with quirky names (son in law eggs), dishes to share, desserts and bar food.
Make your way to the Regent Theatre for a different kind of magic. WICKED, the musical story of how two girls meet in the Land of Oz and become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. Be a part of the magic before it disappears in a puff of smoke on 9 August.
Wake up to breakfast in the comfort or your suite overlooking the bay or CBD or head down to find the local coffee haunts and breakfast favourites at Southgate.
Daylesford Art / Daylesford
Antique shop / Daylesford
Lake Daylesford
Head out of the city to Daylesford, the capital of indulgence. As well as Victoria's largest concentration of naturally occurring mineral springs, the region is home to many skilled masseurs and therapists, spa retreats, boutique accommodation, great cafes and fine dining.
First stop, the famous and historic Hepburn Spa Mineral Springs Bathhouse and Wellness Retreat.
Lavandula / Hepburn Springs
Lavandula / Hepburn Springs
Lavandula / Hepburn Springs
Bathe in warmed mineral waters sourced from the nearby natural springs. Then treat yourself to a beauty or relaxation treatment; the bathhouse offers more services than any other Australian spa, including hydrotherapies.
Refreshed and rejuvenated, it is time to refuel at Lavandula, a nearby historic Swiss-Italian farm. Wander through the olive groves, grape vines, and fields of lavender, some of which makes its way into their unique lavender scones, and lavender lemonade. Try your hand at petanque, buy potions, dried lavender and oils produced on site and lunch at the licensed eaterie that serves produce fresh from the gardens.
Admire the view as you check into your room at the Lake House on the edge of Lake Daylesford.
Lake Daylesford
Lake House / Daylesford
Lake House / Daylesford
The pleasures of the table are celebrated in Daylesford and surrounding villages. Local eateries specialise in fresh seasonal produce. On the foreshore of beautiful Lake Daylesford, the award-winning Lake House offers waterfront accommodation nestled on six acres of manicured waterfront gardens and a restaurant that has won a string of awards for service, ambience, cuisine and cellar.
Rise and shine and, after a light breakfast, take the short drive to neighbouring Hepburn Springs and the delightfully art deco Peppers Springs Retreat.
Plunge pool / Peppers Springs Retreat
Massage
Spa
Brave the open air plunge pools at The Mineral Spa or take a seat in the steam room and inhale deeply as red hot granite rocks are plunged into a copper cauldron filled with lavender scented water.
End your morning cradling a calming cup of organic herbal tea in the relaxation lounge.
Browse Daylesford's main street, stopping for a coffee at Frangos & Frangos or being tempted by handmade chocolates.
Frangos & Frangos / Daylesford
Sweet Decadecne / Daylesford
Convent Gallery / Daylesford
Smell the mingled aromas of coffee and chocolate at Sweet Decadence as you walk towards the old-fashioned curved chocolate counter; its stained glass and the mirrored panels reveals the shop's 1911 origins as a fruit and vegetable store.
Peruse the art on show at the Convent Gallery, a three-level haven for art lovers in an historic 19th-century convent and boarding school. Daylesford and the wider region are home to a large artistic community, among them furniture makers, sculptors, textile artists and painters. Tour their studios to see them at work.
Tonight dine at the Farmers Arms – an award winning country pub serving gourmet fare.
Farmers Arms
Farmers Arms
Farmers Arms
With an emphasis on richness, warmth and flavour, the Farmers Arms serves up a fine dining experience with a relaxed atmosphere. Don't leave without sampling dessert, perhaps the vanilla scented yoghurt pannacotta and poached pear with caramel sauce.
Time it right and you might even make it to a performance night at The Palais in Hepburn Springs. Grab yourself a front-row lounge and be enthralled by the talent whether it's a local tarot reader-turned-poet or child guitar prodigy.
The decision is yours – sleep in late or have breakfast in the eclectic dining room at Cliffy's.
Cliffy's / Daylesford
Cliffy's / Daylesford
Hepburn Springs
Or do both. Sleep in and then take the short drive to Cliffy's for brunch. A local produce store and cafe, Cliffy's overflows with eccentric charm. Search the cluttered produce store for something special or sit among the scatter cushions, ornaments and mirrors and choose a treat from the menu, which is penned on a paper bag.
Walk breakfast off with a stroll through Hepburn Springs, located in the middle of the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia. The springs are full of health-giving minerals that occur naturally in different formulations. Sample a few and experience the distinctive individual taste.
Take the 10-minute drive to Sault, a working lavender farm that evokes comparisons of regional France.
Sault
Sault
Lavender
Sault is set against the backdrop of Wombat State Forest, overlooking a lake among fields of lavender. Indulge yourself with exquisite modern cuisine prepared with the freshest of regional produce and washed down with great local wine.
Named after a lavender producing town north of Marseille, Sault is a fully functional lavender farm producing sumptuous products to take home as a memento of your relaxing visit.
Head back to the city, but take your time and allow yourself to be distracted along the way.
Hepburn Springs
Hanging Rock
Hanging Rock Winery
The Macedon Ranges is renowned as the grape growing region with the coolest climate in Victoria. Make your way back to the city via one of more than 40 cellar doors to taste the wines – including pinot noir and sparkling wines – that have made the region famous. Also try Hanging Rock Winery in the Macedon region, or Craiglee and Goona Warra vineyards in nearby Sunbury.
With your chakras balanced and your chi flowing, relax on the way to the airport. Gazing out the window it's hard to believe you've only been away for four days.
