Vue Grand, Queenscliff review: A room with many views

Sheriden Rhodes is a willing prisoner of the Vue Grand's turret suite.

It's 8am and with a flick of a switch, motorised blinds spring into action, revealing 180-degree views of historic Queenscliff's main drag, Port Phillip and Swan Bay. Cargo ships navigate the Heads, tugboats manoeuvre vessels, while the Sorrento Ferry ploughs back and forth across the bay. As I relax in luxury, sun streaming through panoramic windows, it's difficult not to feel like Rapunzel. But unlike the girl with the long hair, we're willing prisoners in the Vue Grand's turret suite.

Built during a $1 million-plus refurbishment of the historic boutique hotel, the turret suite has every luxury; retractable plasma televisions in the bedroom and bathroom, CD, DVD player with surround sound, heated floor tiles, leather lounge, telescope and binoculars and king-size bed. The views out every window, including those facing the sunken spa, are incredible and you can soak in complete privacy while looking down on bustling Queenscliff or across to Bass Strait. Hauling a six-month-old baby up four flights of stairs to the suite, along with other necessary paraphernalia on check-in, is a daunting exercise. And notably no one offers to lend a hand, simply pointing at the stairs as the way to get to the room. But the staff have kindly set up a portacot for us and happily store our pram downstairs - saving us hauling it up and down. And as the blinds retract to reveal the view, we agree it is worth every single step.

Once you've checked in to the turret suite, which comes with fully stocked bar, you can easily stay put. But that would be to miss all the other things that make Queenscliff such a great spot for an indulgent weekend. We drag ourselves away from the telescope and head over the road to the Queenscliff Day Spa.

It is housed in a cute, two-storey terrace and is a welcoming space with private upstairs deck for relaxing post-treatment. The spa offers the usual range of facials, pedicures, manicures and massages but I try the signature massage, the Sabai Mineral Stone Therapy treatment, which incorporates both bamboo and hot stone therapies.

My therapist immediately puts me at ease. The use of warm oil, the hot, smooth granite stones, combined with the bamboo is bliss for those like me who like a deep tissue massage.

Later, as the sun sets, giving Queenscliff's gorgeous old buildings a warm glow, we put our daughter down for a nap and head for the hotel's private rooftop deck. The 360-degree views over the town and surrounding water are magical. A wedding reception has just started in the Vue Grand's elaborate Grand Dining Room below, couples stroll arm-in-arm along the waterfront and we watch a passing flotilla of boats.

Afterwards we head to the charming Athelstane House for dinner. The bistro, with its stylish beachy feel, has won a coveted Golden Plate Award and the 2009 Good Food Guide Awards describes it as "the best restaurant in these parts". We meet owner Ross Ebbels briefly before tucking into a tortellini of goats cheese, mascarpone and percorino cheese served with king prawns and a pine nut, muscatel and sage butter sauce. My entree of pan-fried scallops in istra pancetta with a confit of Western Plains pork belly and celeriac puree is exquisite, as are our mains of slow-cooked duck and a fantastic apple charlotte dessert with calvados ice cream and apple confit.

The wait staff are happy to suggest matching wines and we leave singing Athelstane's praises.