Hotel description

Please note: There is a 2 night minimum stay requirement for Moonlight Head Private Lodge.

Don’t be misled by the word “lodge,” and its associations with bearskin rugs and rough-hewn rustic furnishings — the Moonlight Head Private Lodge, deep in the coastal headlands of Victoria, Australia, is nothing if not modern and refined. The private four-bedroom retreat was designed by Glenn Murcutt, an award-winning architect and environmentalist, who has adopted as his professional philosophy the Aboriginal saying: “touch the earth lightly.” The house is made with volcanic bluestone and other sustainable materials, and designed to welcome the breathtaking natural backdrop inside. Hundreds of windows and glass ceiling panes allow for breakfast-table koala-spotting and bathtub stargazing, and the spare, minimalist décor keeps the focus on the surroundings: 40 hectares of sprawling national wilderness.

Here, the experience of luxury is crafted with the same care and devotion to quality that is evident in the lodge’s structural design. This means Italian leather sofas by Poltrona Frau, antique Persian carpets, and a bedroom boasting Australia’s only custom-made Savoir bed. Four-course dinners are served nightly, made with local ingredients whenever possible, and the in-house chef plans each evening’s menu around visitors’ dietary restrictions and preferences.

Keys to a BMW and a Ducati motorcycle are available upon request, and the Great Ocean Road, winding along the coast between the cliffs and the sea, is the ultimate open highway. Fishing, golf, helicopter tours, hiking, biking, wildlife watching and wreck diving are among the other activities that can be coordinated for guests. And when it’s time to come in, visitors can treat themselves to a range of spa services, or simply relax beside the fire.

How to get there:

Moonlight Head Private Lodge is a 2 hour drive from Melbourne Airport.