GREAT ESCAPES

Australian House & Garden

Photograph Supplied.

Traditionally, hotels haven’t had much to offer children aside from the lure of pools and breakfast buffets. But a new crop of outside-the-box accommodation is putting uninspiring (for kids) hotel rooms to shame. Leading the way is St Jerome’s – The Hotel, Melbourne’s first luxury-camping accommodation, conveniently set above the Melbourne Central shopping centre in the CBD. Families can hire spacious (separate) canvas tents on the open-air rooftop – and enjoy a night out under the stars in the heart of the city. www.stjeromesthehotel.com.au.
The newest kid on the block is Notel, also in Melbourne, where six 1970s chrome Airstream trailers are fitted out as designer digs for everyone’s enjoyment. Plonked on the roof of a nondescript Melbourne car park, Notel has bragging rights nailed. notelmelbourne.com.au.
And, in news just in, Sydney, where Cockatoo Island glamping has become a rite of passage, will soon boast another harbour island pop-up site, Flash Camp. Up to 22 canvas tents will be clustered on a 1ha Clark Island patch (above) taking in panoramic Sydney Harbour scenes.Registrations now open. www.flashcamp.com.au.