Get in touch

Media enquiries to marketing@pghotel.com.au

visitgeelongbellarine.com.au

Portarlington became a whole lot easier to visit since Port Phillip Ferries started a direct service from Melbourne’s Docklands in 2017, enabling visitors to fast track their way to this peaceful bayside town in just 70 minutes. Come for the long sheltered beach and scenic coastal paths or indulge in the abundance of wineries clustered nearby. And if you like shellfish, mussel aquaculture is so big here they have a festival every January to celebrate.

Forte Mag

The grand lady has taken top honours at the Australian Hotels Association, Victoria (AHA Vic) State Awards for Excellence. Of all the transformations we’ve witnessed over the past few years, the Portarlington Grand Hotel is hands down one of our favourites.

Historic Stays

Since the late 19th century, holiday makers made the journey by paddle steamer from Melbourne to the Portarlington Grand Hotel, one of the Bellarine Peninsula’s most popular seaside resorts.

visit geelong bellarine

Nothing quite beats a mussel freshly plucked from the cool depths of Port Phillip to then land on your plate mere minutes later. That’s part and parcel of the new curated foodie experience with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

3AW RADIO STATION

A deep green colour palate, heritage features and friendly personal service – it’s worth making a weekend of a trip down the Bellarine.

AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW

walking up the hill from Portarlington Pier, where the 70-minute ferry service from Melbourne’s Docklands arrives twice daily, you can’t miss the handsome edifice of the three-storey Portarlington Grand Hotel, a Victorian-era establishment with dashing wrought-iron balconies and an ever-so-slightly wonky tower.

ESCAPE

Victoria’s Bellarine’s got everything that’s great about its more bougie cousin, the Mornington Peninsula, but none of what’s tedious about it. There are stunning across-the-bay views of Melbourne, world-class wineries, quiet bay beaches, wild surf spots and now a destination hotel.

DOMAIN MAGAZINE – July Edition (page 4)

If you’re looking for a quiet winter getaway – snug by the fire while waves crash in the background, this quaint coastal town on the Bellarine Peninsula will do the trick. 

THE URBAN LIST

Dreaming of a cosy winter getaway? The Portarlington Grand Hotel has had a multi-million dollar renovation and is welcoming back guests this August. Established in 1888, the refurbishments will return the historic venue to its former glory, as one of the most popular destinations in Port Phillip Bay.

TRAVELLER

The Portarlington Grand Hotel has long been the distinguishing landmark of this town on the northern part of Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, perched above Port Phillip Bay.

BROADSHEET

Consider this your cheat sheet for the month. There’s a legendary restaurateur’s anticipated brutalist Italian diner; a pizza joint specialising in chunky, cheesy Chicago-style pies; and two spots for beautiful bento boxes.

MAY 2022

Portarlington Grand Hotel opens highly-anticipated front bar and bistro, opens booking for new accommodation

FORTE MAGAZINE

The grand lady has been brought back to life. In one of the most exciting renovations in the region, the Portarlington Grand Hotel is continuing to deliver on all fronts with the news of its highly-anticipated front bar.

JANUARY 2022

PORTARLINGTON GRAND HOTEL

MAMMA KNOWS WEST

The historic Portarlington Grand Hotel on the Bellarine has had the first stage of her full make over complete recently. It is just a taste of what is to come – but what a good taste it is…

November 2021

a grand plan to revitalise a grand hotel

one hour out

It takes a considered approach with plenty of skill and experience to marry the old and the new in a project of this scale. It turns out Melbourne-based architects, Technē Architecture + Interior Design, were just the people for the job. And if you’re getting a similar vibe to that of The Espy in St Kilda, you’re not wrong – they’ve had a hand in many a hospitality makeover.

November 2021

The best new restaurants and bars in regional Victoria

Epicure – Good Food 

Chef Richard Hall (ex-Transport and Transit Bar) has just come on board and will show off local seafood alongside polished pub fare and Bellarine wines.

November 2021

The Bellarine Peninsula’s Portarlington Grand Hotel Will Reopen This Summer After a Multimillion-Dollar Makeover

Concrete Playground Melbourne

Day-trippers and hotel guests alike will be able to take advantage of four onsite dining spaces, where local ingredients and booze take centre stage. The Bistro is where you’ll head to tuck into some classic pub fare and seafood dishes, while the elegant Front Bar is set to focus on snacks and cocktails.

November 2021

International travel in 2022: The best new attractions around the world to see next year

Traveller

The pretty, historic fishing village of Portarlington, 31 kilometres north-east of Geelong is about to get an injection of pizzazz. Teche, the architectural gang behind the hugely successful redevelopment of St Kilda’s Espy, have taken hold of the lovely-boned Portarlington Grand Hotel and in a $10 million reimagining, it will debut in 2022 with a focus on local food and wine across four dining spaces, along with 18 boutique lodgings

October 2021

The team are bringing the grand lady back to life.

Forte Magazine

As for the menu, the venue will bring focus to regional produce, still slinging the pub classics but with a modern flair and strong representation of seafood and local fare. Expect to see local mussels,

The aforementioned new beer garden will be an experience in itself, serving all of the beautiful wine, beers and spirits from around the Bellarine Peninsula, alongside mouthwatering wood-fired pizzas.

“The focus on good old-fashioned quality service will always remain for the locals and regulars who will remain a part of our family, and the updated venue will enhance the experience for tourists and visitors well into the future.”

september 2021

10 coastal towns we loved as kids are making a major comeback

Escape

Tipped to reopen in December following an almost $10 million total renovation, The Portarlington Grand Hotel , originally built in 1888, will offer 18 boutique rooms, some with bay views and balconies, and a beer garden with a modern coastal feel and wood-fired pizza oven. You’ll want to eat fish and chips on the beach, pick and mix sweets at Pier View Lolly Shop and taste local wine and beer on the Bellarine Taste Trail.

september 2021

Eight reasons to get excited about regional Victorian road trips this summer

Epicure – Good Food 

As for the menu, the venue will bring focus to regional produce, still slinging the pub classics but with a modern flair and strong representation of seafood and local fare. Expect to see local mussels,

The aforementioned new beer garden will be an experience in itself, serving all of the beautiful wine, beers and spirits from around the Bellarine Peninsula, alongside mouthwatering wood-fired pizzas.

“The focus on good old-fashioned quality service will always remain for the locals and regulars who will remain a part of our family, and the updated venue will enhance the experience for tourists and visitors well into the future.”

august 2021

Country pubs take on city airs as pandemic patrons go gourmet

The Age

In mid-late summer, award-winning Techne Architecture + Interior Design will put the finishing touches on the hotel, bringing the grand lady back to life in a contemporary way. “The original building will be restored with a magnificence that draws you in, then there is the big atrium bar terraced in three zones all modern with light, recycled timbers and seventies-inspired colours that capture the holiday feel loved by generations,” Mr Little said.