Stephanie Holmes experiences the luxury side of Perth on a long-weekend break full of fancy hotels and fine dining.
It's often cited on lists of "most isolated capital cities" but even if its geography makes it far removed from the rest of the world, Perth's luxury offerings stand up against the most cosmopolitan of international cities. With five-star hotels, innovative restaurants and gourmet day trips on its doorstep, it's a world-class city break destination worthy of any luxury list. Here are three ways to ramp up the indulgence on your next visit.
Where to stay
To experience what it's like to be a VIP, it helps to have an entourage of eager fans waiting outside your hotel when you arrive. When I turn up at Perth's Ritz-Carlton hotel, there are security guards, barriers in place and crowds of people clamouring to see who's getting out of the Mercedes-Benz minivan with tinted windows.
I'm sure they are very disappointed to see me, an ordinary Joe, and not one of the English Premier League football players they are waiting for. Little known to me, my weekend stay coincides with that of Manchester United, arguably the world's most famous football team, in town for a series of friendlies against fellow Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Leeds United and Crystal Palace. The fact they have chosen this hotel as their base bodes well – if it's good enough for megastars like Marcus Rashford and Victor Lindelof, then it's certainly good enough for me.
The wow factor starts from the moment I enter my 15th-floor corner suite. As I step through the door, I'm stopped in my tracks. The black-out blinds are down, but they're automatically opening, slowly revealing my view. It's like the curtain going up on the most impressive theatre set. Inch by inch, the city is unveiled – Barrack Street Jetty, Elizabeth Quay, the Bell Tower, Langley Park, the Swan River and South Perth, looking fabulous in the fading light of an early winter evening. It's a true show-stopper.
Opening in November 2019, the hotel is a relatively new addition to Perth's waterfront and was the first of three Ritz-Carlton hotels planned for Australia. With prime riverfront location, the 18-storey, 205-room hotel is sleek and modern, but its design incorporates uniquely Western Australian elements. Meant to evoke the Argyle pink diamonds found in the Kimberley region, the hotel's exterior is made up of pink mirrored glass that beautifully reflects the Swan River sunlight. The lobby's modern chandelier is made up of 275 lights, arranged to represent the Karijini Gorge in the northern Pilbara region. Artwork found throughout the hotel is from regional artists, depicting aerial views of WA's landscapes.
As well as the ground-floor Hearth Restaurant (see below), there's Songbird Bar on the fifth floor, with a covered terrace and views across the river. The outdoor heated infinity pool also looks out to the Swan, but it's the views from my suite I'm most captivated by. A curved wall of glass spans the entire suite, including the bathroom, so my attention is always drawn outwards.
The abundance of space and thoughtful design elements make it a sanctuary to luxuriate in. A tall cupboard next to the minibar conceals expensive-looking cut-glass tumblers; the king-sized bed is swathed in high-quality linen; the free-standing bath is in front of a glittering gold mosaic-tiled wall; even the bathrobe is an elevated experience, created exclusively for Ritz-Carlton by Italian luxury linen company Frette. (Buy one from the Ritz-Carlton online shop for about $350).
Further round the river in the suburb of Burswood, Crown Towers is another five-star hotel fit for the most famous of guests (Elton John has stayed in the penthouse suite), and a luxurious option for anyone on a Perth city break. The 21-storey hotel opened in 2016, as part of the Crown casino complex, and is within walking distance of the Optus Stadium (where Manchester United play on my weekend visit).
My suite looks across the Swan River back to the CBD, giving a different perspective of the city. It's drenched in light all day, and a perfectly placed chaise longue is the ideal spot for an afternoon snooze in the sun.
The 15th-floor Crystal Club is a peaceful enclave for dedicated check-in, a la carte breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapes, where the background soundtrack is jazz classics and the gentle chatter of satisfied guests.
Where to eat
Hearth, at the Ritz, is a celebration of Western Australian produce, using ingredients sourced only from the region. Much of the food is cooked over an open fire, and the relaxed dining experience is complemented by impeccable service.
I experience the three-course Welcome to Hearth menu, which offers four to five options per course. I would recommend everything I try but if you remember only two things from this story, make sure they are: the spent grain bread with smoked butter, and the camembert cheese icecream. No, that's not a typo – dessert is actually icecream made using camembert, served with toasted sandalwood nuts and grilled strawberries. It's one of the only dishes that has had a consistent place on the seasonally changing menu and rightly so; although it sounds like a Willy Wonka creation gone wrong, it's creamy, comforting and surprisingly delicious.
As for that smoked butter, when the maitre d' asks me what I think of it, I tell him I could easily eat a whole bowlful. He says he'll have one sent up to my room... and I'll admit to being a little disappointed when I realise he's only joking.
In the State Buildings just up the road from the Ritz, Wildflower is another restaurant championing local Western Australian produce. On the top floor of Como The Treasury luxury hotel, it has been highly regarded and awarded since it opened in 2016.
Head chef Michael D'Adamo's farmer- and forager-driven menus are influenced by the six seasons of the Noongar calendar, Noongar being the Aboriginal people of southwest WA. My visit coincides with Makuru, the season of fertility, where the state experiences heavy rains and the native scarlet banksia plant is in full bloom.
As if on cue, the weather is inclement as I dine, and the twinkling city lights outside the floor-to-ceiling glass are blurred by fleeting showers of torrential rain. Three huge artworks of native trees found in nearby Kings Park dominate the walls of the flatteringly lit marble-floor dining room and there's not a spare seat in the house.
The menu reads like a roadmap of WA - Nannup chestnut, Manjimup marron, Geraldton wax, Margaret River wagyu, Davidson plum. The sommelier's wine matches, also from WA producers, are the perfect complement to a highly anticipated – and highly enjoyable – meal.
At Crown Towers, guests can dine at Nobu, the Perth outpost of the world-renowned Japanese restaurant chain from chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Long a favourite of celebrities, Nobu's food is a masterclass in Asian fusion dining, combining classic Japanese cuisine with South American flavours.
Entering from the busy lobby area of the Crown complex, sliding doors open to reveal a bustling yet ordered dining room where countless waitstaff weave between tables, joining in a chorus of "Irasshaimasu" (Japanese for welcome) as each group of diners enters.
I'm seated at the long banquette in front of the sous chefs, who meticulously and methodically prepare sashimi and delicate sushi rolls in front of my eyes. It's the perfect place for a lone diner, with always something to look at and be entertained by.
In keeping with my adventurous dessert at Hearth, I choose an unusual Nobu signature cocktail to accompany my meal – a Wasabi Awa, made from wasabi-infused gin, apple liqueur, cucumber syrup, lime and elderflower foam. It's surprisingly sweet with a peppery finish and goes perfectly with my salmon belly sashimi (divine), spicy tuna taco (exceptional), and black cod in a miso glaze (outstanding).
If all that doesn't satiate your appetite, high tea at QT Perth is another dining experience to add to your luxury itinerary. Hosted in the glamorous Santini restaurant on Saturday afternoons, guests receive a glass of prosecco, a three-tiered stand of house-made pastries, savouries, scones and desserts, plus a pot of tea, all for just A$65pp.
Where to visit
Just 30 minutes drive from Perth's CBD is the Swan Valley wine region and the best way to see it is with a sober driver to take you to all the best spots. There's no need to argue about who gets to taste and who sits behind the wheel; Perth Luxury Tours specialises in small, private luxury tours to destinations around southwest WA, including Fremantle, Margaret River, Albany and Denmark.
Owner-operator Jason Woodthorpe picks me up from the Crown for my day out in the Valley. It's a quick drive through suburban Perth, then quickly we're in wine country, with big skies, acres of vines and a variety of artisan producers to visit.
Our first stop is at Yahava KoffeeWorks, a roastery, cafe and store, where team member Mandy takes me through a tasting. She takes it in her stride when I tell her I don't drink caffeine, instead finding me a decaf coffee and three herbal teas to try. Otherwise, you could taste any of seven blends, four single origins and one speciality coffee.
Even on a Monday, there's a regular stream of customers, some simply enjoying a coffee in the sunny garden courtyard, others popping in for tastings and gift-buying as part of a Swan Valley whistle-stop tour.
Our next stop is The Honey House, where I sample different varieties of natural and native-flower-infused honeys and a range of meads, before heading down the road to Olive Farm Wines, the oldest winery in the region. The fourth-generation winemakers have 40 varieties on offer, all made from 100 per cent Swan Valley fruit. For just $10, visitors get to taste eight wines of their choosing – all 40 are on offer, kept fresh and at the perfect temperature by the winery's Italian state-of-the-art Enomatic wine dispenser, nicknamed Frank the Tank. The machine can keep open bottles fresh for up to three months, although, as a popular stop on the valley's tasting trail, bottles are finished well before they get close to expiry.
Cellar door and marketing manager Ana, an expat Brazilian, takes me through a tasting. The only rule with Frank the Tank, Ana tells me, is you never go back on yourself. We start with sparkling wines, then lighter whites, all the way to rich, dense reds, methodically moving along Frank's four sides, picking and choosing as I go. I taste varieties I've never heard of, like arinto, touriga nacional, and durif, while Ana gives me expert tasting notes and recommendations of what foods each wine would pair best with.
My only regret from the whole trip? Taking only carry-on luggage so I can't buy any bottles to take home with me.
Jason drops me off at Sandalford Winery, a gorgeous grand old vineyard and estate established more than 180 years ago. During the summer months, the estate hosts big-name acts for outdoor concerts, with previous performers including Lionel Richie, Santana, Steely Dan, Michael Buble and Mariah Carey.
There are no concerts on my winter's day visit but there's still a large contingent of guests making their way through the doors for a relaxed lunch. I sit next to the fire by the French doors, looking out on a courtyard decked with festoon lights and gnarled vines, with blue skies and winter sunshine adding to the perfect day.
The five-course Sandalford Journey lunch menu with matched wines is outstanding. I'm in raptures over the wood-fired tiger prawns in a garlicky, oily Aleppo pepper marinade matched with a sauvignon blanc semillon, and the beef tartare on crispy fried bread with mayonnaise, fried capers and pesto, paired with a 2020 rose.
There's more luxury to come - a celeb-worthy private helicopter trip across to Rottnest Island awaits. But that's a whole other story.
Checklist
PERTH
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand flies a daily direct service from Auckland to Perth. airnz.co.nz
DETAILS
For more things to see and do in the region, go to westernaustralia.com