In The City

Join us inside the most expensive and exclusive city hotels in the country – from the secret room in Melbourne you’re not supposed to know about, to sleeping under a bridge in Sydney the millionaires’ way.

It’s the stereotype of countless films. A massively opulent suite taking up the very top floor of a five star hotel. The kind of room occupied by James Bond types or evil tyrants looking to rule the world while stroking a white cat. The sort that require your own special lift pass. Or, in the best cases, your own special lift.

So, what’s life like when you push the last button on the elevator and get whisked up to the very best the hotel has to offer?

They were once called “penthouses" but now they go by different names. Sky Villa. Roof Pavilion. Whatever. We’re only interested in the most expensive room at the hotel. So what do you get for your money?

It’s the little things

The first thing is service. Regardless of the hotel, when you book the most expensive suite in the place you’re entering a different level of service. For starters you have a dedicated staff, generally a butler and at least a maid, whose job it is to go to extraordinary lengths to anticipate anything you might require.

The second important element involves the accoutrements to your stay. Hotels figure if you’re going to spend more than $20,000 on a room you can afford a bit more on some extras. Take Australia’s most expensive city hotel,Crown Towers in Melbourne. If you’re feeling like a bit of bubbly with your suite you can opt for a bottle of the Heidsieck & Co Monopole 1907 Gout Americain.

This apparently very good champagne was earmarked for the Russian military during WWI but was sunk by a German U-boat enroute toFinland. In 1997 salvage divers recovered the champagne to discover that, through a confluence of sturdy crate construction, constant temperature and uniform pressure, the bottles had been perfectly preserved. And you can order yourself a bottle for $13,200 if you wish.

If you’re the type who can afford $27,500 a night for the best room at Crown, you’re not about to blink at another $13k for a bottle of champagne.

Stay for the legroom

And then there’s the space. These hotel rooms are like nothing you’ve ever seen; they’re more like luxury apartments. It’s as though the actual hotel is just an enormous edifice hanging off the hotel room in order to feed it the service it requires.

They’ll all come with at least two bedrooms, a dining room and a vast lounge area at an absolute minimum. Interestingly, the Park Hyatt in Sydney has received council approval to add another suite onto their roof. Each room will have its own plunge pool. Given the hotels location and unbeatable view, these suites will come close to being the best (and most expensive)Australia has to offer.

Maybe it’s just the power these suites represent – the prestige of occupying the most expensive room in the building. Whatever the reason, we can understand why there will always be villains doing battle with James Bond types. They have a set of standards to which they’ve become accustomed and a lifestyle to defend.

Crown Towers, Melbourne

When it comes to the most expensive city hotel in Australia, this is it. We’ve been reliably informed that their über-suite will set you back some $27,500 per night. The best rooms at Crown are called Villas, of which there are 31, beginning at lofty level 30 of the hotel.

The very best Villas are Presidential Villas, the cream of which is room 3918, which will cost you that aforementioned $27,500 per night. Crown are very tight-lipped about this particular Villa. In fact, their public relations GM, Anne Peacock, refused to comment publicly on this particular room, citing the discretion and privacy of their extreme high rollers for the no-comment policy.

That said, we know that if you place $27,500 on the table and ask for the best room in the hotel, you should be given the keys to room 3918. Keep in mind that this isn’t just the most expensive hotel room in Australia; this is one of the most expensive in the world. By comparison, the priciest room in all of Sydney is a paltry $6950 a night.

Look at it this way: go out, come back to your room late and get a solid eight hours sleep. By the time you wake up for breakfast, you’ll have spent nearly $1 for every second you’ve been asleep. But, then again, if you can afford this suite you’re probably going to have some very cool dreams anyhow.

To get to your suite, you’ll take a lift to the Crystal Club on level 29, which is where you check in if you’re rich. No hanging around the foyer with the riff raff for you! The Crystal Club offers amazing views of Melbourne and is like having a very, very posh boutique hotel tucked inside a much larger one. The Crystal Club offers complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails and canapés. Most other hotels would configure level 29 as a sophisticated cocktail lounge.

Which, in part, this is. However, this is also the lobby within the hotel to access the best Crown Towers Suites. After swiping your diamond, ivory or obsidian Amex, your butler will take your bags to the 39th floor where room 3918 awaits. And what a room it is.

We can confirm that the three-bedroom suite takes up the entire floor. We’ve also been advised that it’s “around" 400m2 and has one of Melbourne’s best views. We just don’t have photos to share. Perhaps we have a reader out there who’s been lucky enough to stay in room 3918 that can send us some photos? We’d all be very keen to see them. Call (03) 9292 8888 or check out www.crowntowers.com.au for more.

Park Hyatt, Sydney

Sitting proudly beneath theHarbourBridgeand directly across from the Opera House, the Park Hyatt Sydney has probablySydney’s best views – and surprisingly is in a quiet part of The Rocks, with the hotel itself being relatively unimposing.

Where Melbourne’s Crown Towers stands tall, flashing neon and belching flames as a good casino should, the Park Hyatt is a touch more serene, subdued and understated.CrownTowersparties on. Park Hyatt considers. It’s also home toSydney’s most expensive hotel room.

This 185m2 suite costs around $6975 per night and has recently undergone a refurb. It has the most extraordinary views of the Opera House, the Bridge andSydneyHarbour, containing a dining table that seats 12. Extensive balconies (six in total) frame the unforgettable view.

Naturally the suite has a separate very large living room that’s equipped to be commensurate with the sort of entertaining that people spending $6000 a night require. The suites are stocked with all the latest technology and there’s nothing wanting. Forgot your camera? There’s one there to use. Need a meal? Get the chef to come cook one for you. It really is a relaxing way to unwind after a day of plotting world domination. Call (02) 9241 1234 or check out www.sydney.park.hyatt.com for more.

Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford , the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout — Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

3. Mount Alexander Traverse

Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

4. Murmuring Walk

Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes — Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

5. La Gerche Forest Walk

Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

6. Sailors Falls Loop

Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.