Quarters at Flinders Hotel, review: Peninsula panache

A reborn hotel steeped in history has much to offer if you like your comforts — and food, writes Mary O'Brien.

Bags packed, partner revving the engine expectantly and quick goodbyes. "Enjoy being a couple again," my teenage daughter cheekily shouts as we head off for a rare night away without the kids.

Such a break is precious and we've very carefully selected our destination. It's a luxury hotel that opened on the Mornington Peninsula less than a year ago, with a Good Food Guide one-hat restaurant a few steps away. It's in a cute village and a five-minute stroll from the beach.

We know pretty quickly that we've struck gold when we check in to the Flinders Hotel. The Quarters are stylishly designed inside and out, staff are friendly and the place still smells new (it opened in September 2012).

The Flinders Hotel is steeped in history. The original hotel was built in 1889 to house Morse-code trainers at the nearby cable station. It burnt down in 1926 under suspicious circumstances and was rebuilt in 1928. The pub has seen good and bad times but its future was secured when the Inge family bought it in 2008. The Deck, a casual restaurant, opened the following year. At the end of 2011, flamboyant chef Pierre Khodja unveiled the much-anticipated fine-dining restaurant Terminus. And the last stage in the project was the new accommodation block, which was cleverly built just behind the hotel.

Our hotel room is furnished in a smart timeless Scandinavian style. There's a king-size bed, armchairs and a table, and an outdoor patio where we enjoy a glass of wine. An iPod dock, cable TV, DVD player and bathrobes are welcome features. The bathroom has a large shower, quality fixtures and Aveda toiletries. Thick towels are a nice touch.

And then we ate One of the reasons we've come here is to sample Khodja's ambitious menu at Terminus. On a previous visit to The Deck, I enjoyed a paella that was jumping with flavour. At the weekends, Khodja gets a chance to return to his roots and fine-tune his North African-inspired menu at the more formal Terminus. The chef was born in Algeria but grew up in France. He worked in a Michelin-star restaurant in London, ran his own restaurant and made a reputation for himself at Canvas in Hawthorn.

For our big romantic dinner, we decide to dress up and splash out. Dishes such as local snapper with saffron and ginger, or John Dory with prawns, couscous and chermoula, are a subtle combination of spices. For dessert, half the diners are opting for the Turkish delight souffle with halva ice-cream, and no wonder. And after all that indulging, we take a walk around town, which is now surprisingly peaceful.

The deal maker We've booked a keen deal online with discounted accommodation, local chocolates, free wi-fi and a newspaper. Being able to have a top-class dinner on-site is a big attraction, the continental breakfast is a generous self-serve choice of quality ingredients, the accommodation is comfortable and stylish, and we enjoy pottering around the village and beach on foot. The Quarters is definitely on its way to becoming another Lake House or Royal Mail.