Fodor's Expert Review Queenscliff Hotel

Editor's Note: This location is reported to be under new ownership and therefore this review may contain inaccuracies.

If you're after period charm rather than sleek modernity, this gloriously restored 19th-century beauty is for you, with its soaring, pressed-metal ceilings, stained-glass windows, and antique furnishings. The hotel's suites and opulent downstairs sitting rooms graced with open fires and enormous armchairs are lovely, instantly transporting you to a more genteel era. Fine dining ($$$) is offered in the beautiful formal restaurant, open on Friday and Saturday nights, where chef John Schirmer creates international modern cuisine. Less grand fare is served in the Boat Bar, or the outdoor courtyard with an ornate fountain. The hotel's location—across from a park and with views to the ocean—is enviable. There are excellent packages in winter months.