Down the rabbit hole: Melbourne's Jackalope Hotel

Greeted by a 7-meter high rabbit in the entryway, guests’ perception of reality is instantly altered when entering Jackalope Hotel. An hour drive from Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula lodging is a sensory journey of otherworldly proportions. A creature of legends, the Jackelope has long been the focal point of tall tales. We have a feeling the hotel will soon be a thing of lodging lore.

The owner of Jackalope, Louis Li, worked with Carr Design Group on the architecture and interior, in addition to commissioning a number of Australia’s preeminent creatives. The hotel’s 46 luxe rooms boast floor-to-ceiling windows, secluded terraces, and pinot body scrubs concocted from grapes plucked from the local vineyard, but the hotel’s restaurant and bar scene is the ultimate crown jewel. A dining destination in its own right, Jackalope offers one of two dining adventures in its surreal, Alice in Wonderland-like dreamscape. Behind door number one is Doot Doot Doot (yes, you read that right), a darling dining experience boasting a bewitching ceiling of golden glass orbs (creating the sensation of fermenting wine bubbles overhead) and a tasting menu intrinsically linked to local fare. Door number two unveils winery restaurant, Rare Hare, a fireplace-clad casual dining experience. The hotel bar, named (what else?) Flaggerdoot, pays homage to the alchemic process of distillation, with apothecary-inspired glass beakers. Did we mention it also houses an electric blue pool table?

Clad in dark zinc with charred timber and appointed with black metal detailing, the hotel’s modern, barn-like architecture gives way to rolling hills and a sculptural landscape of century-old vines. Outside, the infinity lap pool doesn’t disappoint. Nor do epic sunset views of the surrounding vineyards or the massage-ready poolside pavilion. It all sounds pretty dreamy if you ask us.

Photography courtesy of: Sharyn Cairns