Mr B’s: 396 Pitt St, Sydney NSW (02) 8080 7777 or www.mrbshotel.com.au The old Mandarin Club was a Sydney CBD institution. Founded in 1965, it was situated at the corner of Pitt and Goulburn Streets until a relocation in 2009. The place to be for the who’s who of the entertainment industry in the ’60s
Mango Hill Tavern: Cnr Anzac Ave & Halpine Dr, Mango Hill QLD (07) 3482 1500 or www.mangohilltavern.com.au Mango Hill Tavern is Brisbane’s newest family hotel, and it’s already proving itself a big achiever, taking out the QHA award for Best New Hotel. Brand & Slater spent 16 weeks designing the cosy ambience of the tavern
Photo: Earl Carter Never having worn a dress doesn’t preclude me, a male, from knowing who Collette Dinnigan is. One of the few international stars to come out of Australia, Dinnigan’s frocks have draped from the shoulders of Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Naomi Watts, as well as won her acclaim and a 15-year run
Albert Park Hotel Oyster Bar & Grill 83 Dundas Place, Albert Park VIC (03) 9690 5459 or www.thealbertpark.com.au The Melbourne Pub Group knows how to do a gastro pub. Spearheaded by Julian Gerner, Melbourne Pub Group has been busying itself turning old titles into new gold, and The Albert Park Hotel is one of
I may be very much mistaken, but I don’t think the Las Vegas Heritage Trust is particularly active. I recently travelled to Vegas with a companion who yearned for a taste of the golden age. It was his first time in Sin City and he had romantic visions of Sinatra strolling the strip in a
Gabriella Cilmi (pronounced Chill-me, not Kill-me) has a new album. With the totally ubiquitous Nothing Sweet About Me behind her, Gab has new and very different fish to fry.
Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach: 81 Surf Parade, Broadbeach QLD (07) 5592 2250 or www.sofitelgoldcoast.com.au Our collective consciousness has been branded with the number 23. It’s the number of champions for who the sky’s the limit. First there was Michael Jordan, then Shane Warne, more recently, superstar basketballer LeBron James… and now: Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach.
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney: 199 George St, Sydney NSW (02) 9250 3100 or www.fourseasons.com/sydney It’s spring at the Four Seasons Sydney. After shedding its coat and embarking on a $1.2m refurbishment of its public areas, hot on the heels of a $16m facelift to the hotels rooms and suites last year; the hotel has sprouted
Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat: Broome WA (08) 9193 8015 or www.ecobeach.com.au Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat, in the Kimberley region over an hour from Broome, is the result of Karl Plunkett and partner Natalie Kimpton’s steely resolve to rebuild the original 1998-launched version that fell victim to cyclone Rosita in 2000. With great tenacity, Plunkett carried
I recently returned from a family holiday in Tasmania. Nothing glamourous, just a self-catering week in the interior — tall trees, waterfalls, leeches. We set off one afternoon from our cabin on an hour-long walk, ostensibly to spot wedge-tailed eagles. With two kids under the age of 10 I was bringing up the rear of