Launching 01 April 2017, in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula wine region, Jackalope Hotel’s hotly anticipated, daring debut property is set to redefine regional luxury in Australia.

Through the mediums of art, design, dining, and storytelling— the hotel promises to create transformative experiences, offering a “delicate interplay between the ideal and the surreal.”

Transformative is fast shaping as 2017’s “it” phrase in luxury travel. Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief of Travel Weekly explains, “we’ve seen experiential travel, we’ve seen authentic travel, we’ve seen curated travel – and where I think it’s going is towards transformational travel.”

So what exactly is transformative travel? Weissmann adds, “what that transformation is will be different for every traveller. (To some it is) about the access you can get or the spiritual connection a place offers. Not to be confused with VIP passes, ‘access’ in this case is the priceless feeling of being truly part of something – of aligning with your surroundings on a psychological and emotional level.”

In Beyond Luxury’s Pure Trends Matter Report, forecasting 2017 luxury travel trends, press influencers pointed to how “exclusivity has become heightened over the past three years; everyone wants an experience that was created by experts, especially for them.

“ Taking curated experiences one step further, Paul Brady, Senior Editor at Condé Nast Traveler US thinks, “the biggest travel trend of the next year is going to be more hands-on experiences where rather than having the vacation happen to you, you participate in it.”

Not content with being set on one of the Peninsula’s most pristine vineyards, Jackalope has positioned itself at the forefront of these emerging hotel trends. Property highlights include 46 luxury rooms, a 30-metre infinity pool lapping up to the vines, and multiple dining options. But the real revel is in the detail and the genuine connection to place that Jackalope offers its guests.

Take, for example, the hotel’s hospitality offers. In the spirt of the on-site winery’s single vineyard heritage, dishes at the hotel’s headline restaurant, Doot Doot Doot, are designed to offer a faithful expression of the property. This is achieved by presenting a menu that draws on seasonal offerings from the hotel’s 900sqm kitchen garden and select Mornington Peninsula producers.

At Doot Doot Doot, diners have the choice of ordering four- or eight-course set menu spreads, all with the option of matched Willow Creek and international wines.

Travel Director of PORTER Magazine, Catherine Fairweather is an advocate of less choice is more, “lack of choice is a luxury for me – I don’t want a big menu, I just want to be given something really great to eat.”

Being situated on a working vineyard offers unique opportunities for guests to connect with the property and participate in the winery experience. Private tastings in the winery’s atmospheric barrel hall, or picnics among the vines can be arranged. Then again, this “spiritual connection to place” can come from simply relaxing on your private terrace while sipping on a back vintage chardonnay, as you watch the sun set over the vines from which the wine was born.

Jackalope really is a place to escape, both physically and mentally.

Just a one-hour drive from Melbourne, the Peninsula has long been known as Melbourne’s weekend playground. For corporate groups or leisure travelers looking to explore the region, the Mornington Peninsula’s unique array of dramatic surf and sheltered bay beaches, natural hot springs, and national parks contribute to the perfect mix of coastal and country reverie.

Jackalope also offers year-round opportunities to explore the region’s wineries or tee off on its world-class golf courses. Over 50 cellar doors and restaurants dot the rolling hills around Jackalope’s own 11-hectare vineyard, while 20 outstanding golf courses, of which three are rated in Australia’s top 10, have cemented the Peninsula’s position as Australia’s number one golf destination.

With dedicated events spaces, its proximity to Melbourne and array of on-property and regional experiences, Jackalope is an ideal destination for corporate retreats and conferencing.

For more information, contact Business Development Manager, Christina Day.