10 Melbourne Romantic Getaways We Actually Did (And Why You Should Too)
Anmita Das
Key Takeaways
Essential insights to remember
Melbourne's romantic getaways work best when you ditch the phone - we learned this the hard way at Peninsula Hot Springs
Midweek bookings at Jackalope and Lake House saved us 40% and meant fewer crowds
The Japanese Mountain Retreat in Montrose is ridiculously underrated - best value for money we found
Mornington Peninsula wins for diversity - you get beaches, wineries, and hot springs within 20 minutes
Winter getaways (June-August) are peak romance - fires, spa baths, and none of the summer crowds
We spent eighteen months testing every Melbourne romantic getaway we could find.
Not because we're travel bloggers or influencer types.
Because we were tired of the same Saturday night restaurant routine and needed to remember why we liked each other in the first place.
This is what actually worked.
Jackalope Hotel: When You Want to Feel Rich (Even If You're Not)
March 2024
We saved for three months to afford one night at Jackalope.
Worth every dollar.
The infinity pool at sunset isn't just Instagram bait.
It's the kind of moment where you both go quiet because talking would ruin it.
We did the tasting menu at Doot Doot Doot - sixteen courses that took four hours.
My partner doesn't normally like "fancy food" but she cried during the seventh course.
Duck, some kind of fermented something, I don't remember.
What I remember is holding hands under the table while the Peninsula stretched out below us.
What we'd do differently: Book the vineyard walk before dinner, not after. We were too full and tipsy to appreciate it properly.
Practical stuff:
- Midweek rates are $600-800 vs $1200+ on weekends
- The room bar is excellently stocked but costs a mortgage
- Breakfast is included and stupid good
- Book Flaggerdoot cocktails at 5pm, before it fills up
Peninsula Hot Springs: The "No Phones" Weekend That Saved Us
June 2024
We were fighting about something dumb.
Money, probably. Or whose family we'd see at Christmas.
The kind of fight that's really about everything else.
Someone gave us a voucher for the glamping and hot springs package.
We almost didn't go.
The private bathing at dawn - just us and steam and hilltop pools overlooking the bay - that's when things shifted.
We made a rule: no phones until checkout.
Forty-eight hours of just being two people in warm water, not two people managing life.
The fire and ice therapy is brutal in the best way.
Hot pool, cold plunge, repeat until you can't feel your problems anymore.
Real talk: The glamping tents are nice but basic. Don't expect five-star luxury. Do expect to sleep better than you have in months.
Do this:
- Book stargazing sessions (Thursdays only)
- The café is overpriced - bring snacks
- St Andrews Beach is 10 minutes away and empty
- Go midweek if you hate crowds
Southbank Staycation: Because Sometimes You Don't Need to Leave the City
August 2024
We spent stupid money to stay at Crown Towers three kilometers from our apartment.
Best decision we made that month.
Sometimes romance is room service champagne breakfast and pretending you're tourists in your own city.
We walked Southbank at sunset like we did when we first moved here.
Held hands on Princes Bridge.
Did the Melbourne Skydeck even though we'd both said it was touristy garbage.
It is touristy garbage.
It's also kind of magical when you're pointing out your neighborhood from 285 meters up.
The Crown flame towers at night are weirdly hypnotic when you're wine-drunk and in love.
What worked:
- Late checkout on Sunday (they gave us until 2pm)
- NGV International is free and air-conditioned
- The hotel spa is $$$$ but the hydrotherapy circuit is worth it
- Dessert at Koko Black then martinis at Lui Bar
What didn't: The Melbourne Star observation wheel is closed now. Don't try to book it like we did.
Lake House Daylesford: Where Middle-Aged Couples Go to Remember They're Not Dead Yet
October 2024
This one surprised us.
We thought Daylesford would be all retirees and spa-obsessed wellness types.
It is.
But it's also ridiculously romantic if you lean into it.
The Lake House dining room overlooks the water and the menu changes with whatever they pulled from the garden that morning.
We did the chef's tasting - matched wines - slow and conversational.
The kind of meal where you actually talk instead of scrolling.
We walked around Lake Daylesford the next morning feeding ducks and planning a hypothetical future farm.
We'll never buy a farm.
But it was nice to pretend.
The mineral springs at Hepburn Bathhouse are what you'd imagine - old-school spa vibes, lots of couples who look like they've been married for forty years and still hold hands.
We want to be them.
Pro tips:
- Book Salus Spa treatments, not the bathhouse (better value)
- Wombat Hill Gardens at sunrise = no people
- The town has excellent op shops if you're into that
- Lake walks are better than the overcrowded trails
Arcadia Cottages: Dandenong Ranges in Winter Is Chef's Kiss
July 2024
Rain, fog, open fires, and absolute silence.
The Dandenong Ranges in winter are what every Melbourne couple needs.
Our cottage had a fireplace we actually used - not one of those gas fake things.
Real wood. Real smoke. Real falling asleep on the couch together.
We did the touristy stuff: Puffing Billy with legs dangling out of the carriage, cream tea in Sassafras, fern gullies in Sherbrooke Forest.
All excellent.
But the best part was doing absolutely nothing.
Robes. Spa bath. Card games. Bad movie marathon.
The kind of weekend where you remember you actually like this person.
Must-dos:
- Alfred Nicholas Gardens at opening time (empty)
- William Ricketts Sanctuary is weird and wonderful
- Cook at least one meal in the cottage
- Kalorama Lookout for sunrise if you can drag yourself out of bed
Skip: The overcrowded weekend markets unless you enjoy crowds.
Yarra Valley: Wine, Wildlife, and Why We Almost Stayed Forever
November 2024
The hot air balloon at dawn was my partner's idea.
I hate mornings and heights.
But floating over the Yarra Valley at sunrise with champagne breakfast waiting below?
That's the kind of thing you tell your friends about for months after.
We stayed at a winery - name doesn't matter, they're all good.
Long lunches that turn into dinner.
Cellar door tastings where you pretend to know what "tertiary notes" means.
Healesville Sanctuary where we "adopted" a koala named Bruce and took far too many photos.
The valley does romance without trying too hard.
Just vineyards and good food and the assumption that you're here to slow down.
Worth it:
- Wine and chocolate pairing workshops (book ahead)
- Cycling between wineries (Uber back to your car)
- De Bortoli or Oakridge for lunch
- TarraWarra art gallery if it's raining
Not worth it: Trying to hit more than 3-4 wineries in a day. Pick your favorites and linger.
Japanese Mountain Retreat: The One Everyone Sleeps On
September 2024
This place in Montrose might be the best value romantic getaway we found.
Private onsen bath. Kaiseki dinner. Yukata robes.
All for less than one night at Jackalope.
The bath overlooks Japanese gardens and you can stay in it for hours without anyone bothering you.
We did the sake tasting flight and both agreed we still don't understand sake but enjoyed trying.
The tea ceremony moment with matcha was oddly emotional.
Something about the silence and ritual and taking time to do one thing properly.
My partner practices meditation.
I don't.
But twenty minutes of silence on tatami mats, just breathing together?
I get it now.
Do this:
- Book the kaiseki dinner (not available every night)
- Moonlit outdoor bathing is magic
- Bring a book to read aloud
- Don't rush. This place is about slowing down.
Mornington Peninsula Coast: Beaches, Oysters, and Getting Sand Everywhere
January 2025
Summer on the Mornington Peninsula is tourist hell.
We went anyway because my partner wanted to swim.
Sorrento back beach at 7am before the crowds: perfect.
Same beach at 2pm: nightmare.
We stayed at a resort near Portsea - pool, spa pavilion, bay views.
Ate our body weight in oysters at a pier restaurant.
Walked the back beach rock pools and got absolutely soaked by spray.
The coastal drive stopping at every lookout is mandatory.
We collected shells like children and didn't care who saw.
Hot tip: Go in autumn (March-April) instead. Still warm, no crowds, better rates.
Activities that worked:
- Sunrise beach walks before breakfast
- Fresh seafood lunch at any pier restaurant
- Winery stop for rosé (there are dozens)
- Night soak at Peninsula Hot Springs after beach day
Skip: Trying to do both ocean and bay beaches in one day. Pick one and commit.
CBD Boutique Hotel: When You Want Culture, Not Nature
December 2024
Sometimes you want the opposite of quiet countryside.
We booked QT Melbourne for our anniversary.
City sounds. Rooftop cocktails. Theatre district access.
Progressive dinner through Melbourne's laneways - dumplings in Chinatown, pasta in Flinders Lane, gelato in a laneway we'd never noticed.
We did the tourist thing: tram ride at night, Carlton Gardens at twilight, hotel bubble bath with strawberries.
Found a laneway mural that became "ours" - we go back and take a photo every time we're nearby.
The beauty of a CBD romantic getaway is everything's walkable.
Coffee. Breakfast. Vintage shops. Bookstores. Live music.
You can pack a lot into 48 hours without driving anywhere.
What we loved:
- Rooftop pool before sunrise (empty)
- Theatre tickets were $30 midweek
- In-room bath with city views
- Late checkout meant lazy Sunday brunch
Wilsons Prom Dome: When You Want to Feel Small (In a Good Way)
February 2025
This was the most recent.
Still processing it.
The transparent dome at Wilsons Promontory - sleeping under the Milky Way with wombats as neighbors.
It's camping for people who hate camping.
Comfortable bed. Heating. Actual bathroom.
But you're in the middle of the national park with the sky stretching forever above you.
We hiked Squeaky Beach - the sand actually squeaks, it's ridiculous - and swam in Tidal River.
Cooked a simple dinner on a camp stove and ate from one bowl because we forgot to pack two.
Didn't matter.
We made up constellations because neither of us actually knows astronomy.
Whispered secrets we'd never told anyone.
Danced with no music under stars so thick it looked fake.
The kind of night that reminds you why humans look up.
Real talk:
- Book 6+ months ahead (seriously)
- Bring all your food - nothing nearby
- Battery packs for phones/cameras
- It gets cold at night even in summer
- Worth every penny
The Verdict on Melbourne Romantic Getaways
We spent more money than we should have testing these Melbourne romantic getaways.
We also remembered why we chose each other in the first place.
Not because of fancy hotels or Instagram moments.
Because of the quiet stuff.
Holding hands in warm water.
Laughing about nothing in particular.
Watching the sky change colors and not needing to say anything.
If you're keeping score:
Best value: Japanese Mountain Retreat
Best splurge: Jackalope
Best for reconnecting: Peninsula Hot Springs
Best for nature: Wilsons Prom
Best when you can't be bothered driving: CBD boutique hotels
But honestly?
They all worked because we turned our phones off and paid attention to each other.
That's the secret to romantic getaways in Melbourne.
Not the location.
Not the price tag.
Just showing up and being present with the person you chose.
The rest is details.
