4 Lancemore Victoria hotels set to be the next big thing

Want to dig deeper into your holiday destination to uncover the stories it can tell? Staying at these Lancemore properties in Victoria opens up the essence of each location.

Wandering through a vineyard, tasting the best regional produce – think rich King Valley cheese, handmade chocolate or fresh pastries – Victoria offers extraordinary experiences. Whether it’s the bustle of Melbourne’s laneway district or an escape into an indulgent foodie fantasy, staying at the hand-picked Lancemore Victoria locations ensures a personal connection with the region you are visiting.

Find a new corner of Victoria to explore, with these locations set to be the next big thing.

1. Milawa

Farm gates, cellar doors and gourmet specialty stores abound in the Milawa gourmet region, in the north-east’s High Country. Wine and dine to your heart’s content, then gather your choice of local produce to take back to your home-away-from-home, Lancemore Milawa.

Where to stay

Recently emerging from a multimillion-dollar refurbishment, the beautiful 40-room Lancemore Milawa invites guests to unwind in boutique luxury. Styled with gentle allusions to a modern Mediterranean and Moorish aesthetic, the palette is soothing and muted, blending with the beautiful landscape of merlot grapevines and distant peaks beyond. Manicured gardens enclose the two-storey hotel, where guests can lounge on the terrace, slip into the pool or savour a glass of red by the fireplace.

Lancemore Milawa lounge room — Stay in the beautiful King Valley.

Where to eat

Lancemore Milawa’s onsite Merlot Restaurant Bar sets the scene for elevated but relaxed dining overlooking the sun-drenched merlot vines beyond. From breakfast to dinner it’s a paddock-to-plate affair, where produce is sourced from the local region.

The King Valley is renowned for the world-class wines available at its many cellar doors including Sam Miranda Winery, Woodpark Wines and Indigo Vineyard Wines. But there is so much more for gourmands to discover. Gin lovers should head to the quaint family-owned Hurdle Creek Distillery or Barking Owl Distilling Co., which also produces liqueurs. Then there are the artisan cheeses, seasonal mustard, local honey and an array of baked goods to sample.

Top things to do

Hire an e-bike at Lancemore, or lace up your walking boots, and spend time exploring a short stretch of the scenic Murray to Mountains Rail Trail. Just five kilometres will bring you to the quaint town of Oxley. Along the way, stop to admire the historic red-brick Oxley Flour Mill, built in 1868. There are lovely picnic spots at Memorial Park and beside the King River in Stan Allen Reserve.

cycling through the Milawa Rail Trail — Cycle the Milawa Rail Trail.

2. Red Hill

Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula is just an hour from Melbourne, and this charming wine-producing region is a popular place to give everyday life the slip. Proliferated with gourmet finds, cellar doors and dreamy beaches, it’s a must-visit on any Victorian escape.

Where to stay

Set on 34 acres of gorgeous gardens and vines, Lancemore Lindenderry is in the heart of Red Hill. Revel in landscapes of rolling green hills and coastal views, all just minutes from excellent cool climate wineries. A home base from which to explore the local vineyards or wander barefoot on nearby beaches, Lindenderry’s tranquil setting among 34 acres of gardens and vines allows guests to truly exhale. Book into one of 40 elegant guest rooms surrounded by European-style gardens.

Lancemore Lindenderry garden — Spend your afternoon wandering the beautiful gardens

Where to eat

With Lancemore’s hatted The Dining Room on the property, you needn’t travel far to sample the region’s incredible local fare. The a la carte menu is set to the rhythm of the seasons and is complemented with a sensational wine list from Lindenderry and beyond.

Elsewhere, savour the flavour of the peninsula by indulging in wine tastings or pairings at local wineries Avani, Ocean Eight or Mont Rouge Estate. Or enjoy a cheese tasting at BoatShed Cheese Co. For those with a sweet tooth, there are chocolatiers to discover and the lure of Pure Peninsula Honey in all its forms.

Lancemore Lindenderry restaurant the dining room — Taste two-hatted meals at The Dining Room.

Top things to do

Make a restorative visit to the soothing waters at Peninsula Hot Springs. For lovers of good produce, be sure to sniff out a truffle hunt, and visit the local cherry and strawberry farms. The local golf courses will appeal to those who love a spin around the green.

The Sculpture Park at Pt Leo Estate offers a visual feast. Wander through this amazing outdoor gallery – set within the over 133-hectare estate that also encompasses rolling vineyards and grazing cattle – to marvel at 60 mostly large-scale works by Australian and international artists. Then explore the cellar door and restaurant.

the sculpture garden at Pt. Leo Estate, Mornington Peninsula — Wander the sculpture garden at Pt. Leo Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria)

3. Werribee Park

Starting life as a 93,000-acre sheep station, today the Werribee Park precinct encompasses a range of experiences. Explore heritage-listed Werribee Mansion, enjoy a picnic on the beautiful grounds or watch the land burst with colour when 5000 roses bloom in the Victoria State Rose Garden.

Once the working heart of the Werribee Park estate, the remaining bluestone outbuildings of the farmyard provide a stark contrast to the elaborate craftsmanship of the Chirnside Mansion. Wander down to the heritage orchard and see the work the community and Parks Victoria have put in to preserve and restore the fruit orchard originally planted by the Chirnside family in the late 1800s.

Where to stay

The multi-award-winning Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park offers an escape into history, food and immersive cultural experiences. Just a 30-minute drive from Melbourne, book one of 91 guest rooms in what is, literally, one of the grandest hotels in Australia. Truly, this hotel alone is enough of a reason to visit.

Add to the luxury of this noble 19th-century estate a striking 10 acres of formal English gardens and renowned service from the hotel’s staff. Despite its history, the five-star hotel offers contemporary sophistication and amenities. Sit down to a tasty meal, relax with a spa treatment or stroll the grounds at a leisurely pace.

Where to eat

Relax with garden views at Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park’s onsite restaurant, Joseph’s Dining . Stop in for a cocktail at the bar, or savour an award-winning modern European menu featuring fresh, seasonal produce (some of it even grown on the Mansion grounds) while taking in vistas of Werribee Gardens. Every weekend. treat yourself to lavish high tea of sweet and savoury treats – not to mention free flowing Prosecco.

A light stroll away, Shadowfax Winery is known for its handcrafted wines and seasonal, locally sourced cuisine. After lunch, indulge in a wine-tasting session where you’ll experience a variety of Shadowfax’s finest wines.

a meal at Joseph's Dining, Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park — Indulge in award-winning fare at Joseph’s Dining.

Top things to do

For total indulgence, stay at your hotel and experience the Hammam at L.M. Spa , one of Melbourne’s most exclusive day spas, a luxurious steam bath in the tradition of the Middle East. Book a private Hammam steam room, apply a body scrub and mud mask, lie back and breathe. Add on a unique and specialised treatment, like an indulgent facial that has been custom-made for the harsh Australian climate, or an ancient practice for cleansing the body and mind.

For a change of pace, step back in time at the grand Werribee Park Mansion, built in 1877 for the Chirnside family and featured in a number of films and TV productions, including Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.

Elsewhere, go wild at Werribee Open Range Zoo on the banks of the picturesque Werribee River. Ride the safari bus to spot rhinos, giraffes, zebra, camels, bison, antelope and more for an adventure that offers a captivating glimpse into the animal kingdom.

4. Melbourne

Vibrant and rich with culture, Melbourne is a dynamic city that offers everything from hip enclaves to world-class dining and entertainment, incredible galleries and natural riverside beauty. The truly cosmopolitan city spills creativity into every nook and cranny, from the CBD laneways to the Yarra’s bends, making it the perfect minibreak destination.

Where to stay

Positioned at the Paris end of Bourke Street, Lancemore Crossley St is an elegant boutique stay in the heart of the city, and deftly encapsulates Melbourne’s gritty and glam persona. Poised to take in the best restaurants, the theatre district and luxe shopping, the 113 rooms are soothingly contemporary and adorned with covetable artworks.

Lancemore Crossley St guest room — Enjoy sweeping city views of Melbourne.

Where to eat

Grab a pre-dinner drink at Lancemore Crossley St’s Rooftop Terrace or Lobby Bar. Then indulge in dumplings in nearby Chinatown, sip espresso at a hidden laneway cafe, taste Spanish tapas at a cantina, or enjoy fine dining at restaurants like Gimlet, Cumulus, Maison Batard and Grossi Florentino. The choices are endless.

Lancemore Crossley St rooftop bar — Take in a tipple on Lancemore Crossley St Rooftop Bar.

Top things to do

Lancemore Crossley St is a stone’s throw from the best of Melbourne. Wander through Hosier Lane’s street art, discover hole-in-the-wall bars, or hit the shops in the gorgeous historic Block Arcade and Royal Arcade. Immerse yourself in the arts at blockbuster shows at Her Majesty’s Theatre or the Princess Theatre. Or go for a giggle at the Comedy Theatre. Stroll across Princes Bridge to soak up the latest exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria.

a couple admiring street art along Hosier Lane — Admire the street art of Melbourne on Hosier Lane. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Start planning your Victorian getaway at lancemore.com.au.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

4 spots around Victoria set to be the next big thing

Want to dig deeper into your holiday destination to uncover the stories it can tell? Staying at these Lancemore properties in Victoria opens up the essence of each location.

1. Milawa

Where to stay

Where to eat

Top things to do

2. Red Hill

Where to stay

Where to eat

Top things to do

3. Werribee Park

Where to stay

Where to eat

Top things to do

4. Melbourne

Where to stay

Where to eat

Top things to do

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The Macedon Ranges is Victoria’s best-kept food and wine secret

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

Come for the wine, stay for the food

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Eating there

Drinking there

Playing there