The only Aussie hotel to make Travel+Leisure’s ‘It List’

Beautiful woman at the spa relaxing in the swimming pool
By Hannah Edensor


US publication, Travel+Leisure, has released its annual ‘It List’ of glorious hotels around the world, handpicked by its editors.

The list of the world’s 44 best new hotels and resorts for 2017 is particularly exciting for us Aussies because this year, one of our own made it onto the list.

QT Melbourne, the latest opening in Australia from the design-driven and quirky hotel collection, QT Hotels & Resorts, landed a coveted spot on the list,

“The 44 hotels and resorts are making waves for different reasons—some for killer design, others for culinary bona fides or an unbeatable location—but all are inspiring the rest of the hospitality world to take note,” the T+L editors wrote.

As for the QT Melbourne, they wrote, “A refreshing irreverence makes QT Melbourne unique in the city. The lobby’s wingbacks and stuffed peacock set the tone; rooms are industrial-lite.

“Expect the unexpected—like saucy comments from the elevator voice—and exuberant service that verges on the theatrical.”

australia-and-new-zealand-qt-melbourne-ITLIST2017

Located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD with a striking façade designed by architect Angelo Candalepas, QT Melbourne boasts 188 unique guestrooms and an industrial-inspired interior design by longstanding QT collaborators, designers Nic Graham and Shelley Indyk.

The hotel’s hallmark is a series of innovative restaurants, bars and shops, including: The Cake Shop, a decadent patisserie in the hotel’s lobby; the signature French-style brasserie, Pascale Bar & Grill; the edgy laneway bar, Hot Sauce; the in-house handcrafted Japanese knife shop, Tanto; and a rooftop bar, The Rooftop at QT, overlooking Melbourne’s city skyline.

The hotel also features a world-class video art collection on display throughout the hotel’s public spaces, assembled by renowned contemporary art curator Amanda Love.

“We feel very honoured to have our designer hotel QT Melbourne recognised by such a discerning group of editors as one of the best new hotels in the world for 2017,” said David Seargeant, founder QT Hotels & Resorts and Group MD, Event Hospitality & Entertainment.

“The hotel has quickly become a local hot spot and this has added greatly to its appeal to the international market as they increasingly seek more immersive local experiences.”

The full list includes:

US & Canada

  • The Asbury, Asbury Park, New Jersey
  • The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel, New York City
  • The Dewberry, Charleston, South Carolina
  • Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Lanai, Hawaii
  • Montage Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina
  • The Pontchartrain, New Orleans
  • The Robey, Chicago
  • Single Thread Inn, Healdsburg, California
  • Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, Honolulu
  • 21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City
  • Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, California

Africa & Middle East

  • Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa, Oman
  • AndBeyond Matetsi River Lodge, Matetsi Private Reserve, Zimbabwe
  • Asilia the Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
  • Leeu Estates, Franschhoek, South Africa
  • Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana
  • Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Seychelles

Asia

  • Amanemu, Mie Prefecture, Japan
  • Canyon Ranch Kaplankaya, Kaplankaya, Turkey
  • Katamama, Bali, Indonesia
  • Oberoi Sukhvilas, Chandigarh, India
  • Peninsula Beijing, Beijing
  • Santani, Sri Lanka
  • Soneva Jani, Maldives
  • Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Maldives
  • Meghauli Serai, a Taj Safari Lodge, Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Australia & New Zealand

  • Helena Bay, North Island, New Zealand
  • QT Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Caribbean & Bermuda

  • Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, Bermuda
  • Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Grand Cayman
  • Le Barthelémy Hotel & Spa, St. Bart’s, French West Indies
  • The Shore Club, Turks and Caicos

Europe

  • Coombeshead Farm, Cornwall, England
  • Il Sereno Lago di Como, Lake Como, Italy
  • Park Hyatt Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain
  • Pulitzer Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Ritz Paris, Paris, France
  • Ritz-Carlton, Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
  • Soho House Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Mexico, Central & South America

  • Atix Hotel, La Paz, Bolivia
  • Chablé, Yucatán, Mexico
  • Explora Valle Sagrado, Sacred Valley, Peru
  • Mar Adentro, Los Cabos, Mexico
  • Nekupe Sporting Resort & Retreat, Nicaragua

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