Gourmet Traveller Hotel Guide Awards 2017

I want to be super clear on this – the level of excitement that we experienced mid last week, was like nothing else. Maybe it was comparable to that time that QT Sydney opened it’s door and then won a room service trolley full of awards… but then again, it was different to that.

We, as a QT Family, are relatively new to the Melbourne scene. It was daunting to arrive in a new city. Sure you have your friends that live here, like the Art Series, with The Cullen, The Blackman and The Olsen, just to name but a few.

It was nice to catch up when we first got to the city. They’re all really nice and overly welcoming. As with any big change, the first couple of nights in a new city can be lonely, but we had a job to do, we had a hotel to open.

So we cracked on with it.

We found the professional/skilled/witty staff that we needed, we stocked the wine room in Pascale with some of the best and we decked out the Rooftop with some fine interiors.

Skip down the timeline six months and you arrive at the annual Gourmet Traveller Hotel Guide Awards.

We’re a huge fan of the team at Gourmet Traveller. From Pat Norse‘s reviews, the tales from the dearly departed AA Gill, to the Christmas Pop-Up store in The Rocks in Sydney; we really dig that GT vibe and that’s not a biased statement for what follows, we just really like them.

Anywho, it was Wednesday, May 24. The award ceremony was underway in Pascale Bar & Grill.

And as one of the newest additions to the Melbourne hotel scene, we were honoured to win not just one, but two awards for QT Melbourne. With Best Large Hotel and Best Bar accolade handed to our team, we felt like all the hard work has really paid off.

From getting those huge, 20ft copper doors hung; perfecting the lighting in the rooms and deciding over the cocktail list for the Rooftop, all the work that every member of the QT Family had spent time on has now been awarded.

Though it’s times like these that we must thank you, the QT guest, for without you, there would never be a QT. It’s because you enjoy such fine design, quirky hospitality and you appreciate a delicious food and wine offering that we succeed – so, thank you, to all of you, we honestly do it all for you.

To all the nominees, winners and the GT team, it was a hoot to host! See you next year!

The full list of winners:

Hotel of the Year
Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula VIC

Large Hotel of the Year
QT Melbourne, VIC

New Hotel of the Year
Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Boutique Hotel of the Year
The Old Clare Hotel, Sydney NSW

Regional Hotel of the Year
Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Best Service
Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach NSW

Best Breakfast
Grand Hyatt, Melbourne VIC

Best Pool
The Johnson, Brisbane QLD

Best Bar
QT Melbourne, VIC

Best Club Sandwich
The Louise, Barossa Valley SA

Best Minibar
Como The Treasury, Perth WA