Overview
Melbourne winters get a bad rep. Come June, the city usually witnesses a mass exodus to sunnier shores. Not this year, though – a Tourism and Transport Forum study found that 54 per cent of Australians have cut back on their winter holidays due to cost-of-living pressures, leading to shorter trips, closer destinations and compromising on accomodation.
Melbourne (barely) reigns as Australia's favourite winter city destination, with 13 percent of travellers planning to visit. Victoria as a whole fares better with 23 percent, although it's still beaten out by the Sunshine State's beaches and balmy weather.
In this season of scaled-back getaways, Lancemore Mansion Hotel has launched Embers & Wine, a winter programme that's turning the cold into three cosy nights for the price of two. From steaming magnesium pools and fireside s'mores to garden strolls and jolly meals, here's how one of Victoria's finest historic estates does winter in Melbourne.
Settle in
Werribee doesn't command the romanticism of Lancemore's High Country or Mornington properties, but its flat plains are home to an unexpected slice of the English countryside. Down a gravel driveway within the 400,000-acre Werribee Park, past the open-range zoo and horse paddocks, lies 10 acres of English formal gardens, a 60-room Italianate mansion that wouldn't look out of place on Downton Abbey and the adjacent Mansion Hotel.
The 91-room hotel occupies the grounds' most modern extension in a restored seminary. The lobby is decked out in a neutral palette accented by bold contemporary artworks, while soaring atrium ceilings, grand staircases and the garden view from its arched windows nod to the venue's heritage.
Luxury relaxation begins upon checking into one of the Superior rooms. The design remains understated, but it's generously sized, with a soft king bed, a bathroom big enough for two, and a balcony. First order of business: throw on a plush bathrobe and split a bottle of vino in the oversized tub.
Arrive hungry
Mornings begin with a slow intercontinental buffet spread at Joseph's, a remarkable on-site restaurant. Stations are filled with comforting breakfast staples like bacon, hash browns, pancakes and pastries – and the whole affair is complimentary for Embers & Wine guests.
Head chef Sam Homman (of Vue du Monde, Omnia, Yugen Dining) builds Joseph's seasonal menus around produce from the estate's parterre garden and functioning 1870s orchard, lending a sense of place to the plate. This winter, you'll find brie showered with freshly-shaven truffles and earthy artichoke risotto covered in artichoke crisps.
If you're ordering one main dish this season, make it one of the birds. Piquant Sichuan-pepper-glazed duck leg is beautifully balanced with bright bursts of mandarins and terragons, while stuffed quail with a side of apple puree screams Christmas in July.
Wine lovers can meander to Shadowfax, an industrial-style winery housed in a rusted metal exterior. Lancemore guests get a complimentary wine tasting held on a long communal bench, where sommeliers will bring out spoils from five vineyards, including minimal-intervention French varietals grown on-site and Chardonnays from Midhill.
Idle
You might recognise the grounds from the annual Let Them Eat Cake festival. Believe it or not, ravers weren't the mansion's usual crowd 150 years ago. It was built by Scottish brothers Tom and Andrew Chirnside, who modelled the pastoral estate after aristocratic Victorian English homes.
Wander through Werribee Mansion for a glimpse into how one of the wealthiest colonial families in Victoria lived and entertained. European antiques, artwork, and animal taxidermy fill the rooms. And A grand staircase flanked by free-standing Corinthian columns and stained-glass windows is worth a moment (or a digi cam shot).
WR Guilfoyle (who later became the director of the Royal Botanical Gardens) is behind the elegant gardens surrounds. Heritage fruit trees bearing quince, apples, and pears, lemon-scented gums, weeping cypresses, and other specimens dot the grounds. Spot a colony of fruit bats sleeping noisily in broad daylight, which opens out onto a tranquil lake and grotto.
Warm relaxation
L.M Spa is where the thawing out happens. Guests can soak in a 17-meter heated pool and magnesium jacuzzi, or bathe in a tiled Turkish hamman chamber. Get expert hands to knead away the frozen knots in your body over a 60-minute massage or undo winter's dry skin with a range of signature facials.
Sunsets are best spent by the cosy open fire on the hotel's manicured lawn. The package comes with a complimentary tray of soul-warming mulled wine and DIY s'mores, made with pillowy gourmet marshmallows from Marshmallow Co.
Embers & Wine is available at all Lancemore properties for a limited time only. Head to the website for more details.
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