Known more for its wine exports than its tourism imports, Australia’s Mornington Peninsula is a hidden gem: a rolling landscape of vine-covered hillsides, whitewashed lighthouses and spectacular beaches, dotted with pretty towns and villages. Few are as picturesque as Sorrento, a historic town of limestone buildings, whose shop-lined main street leads down to a pine-covered beachfront.
Halfway down, the historic Hotel Continental, ‘the Conti’ to locals, is undergoing a major renovation before reopening as InterContinental Sorrento later this year. The 145-year-old heritage-listed building will feature 106 rooms and suites, with a yet-to-be-named high-profile chef taking the helm at the signature restaurant, five other bars and restaurants and a luxurious bathhouse and wellness centre, reclaiming its reputation as the most glamorous spot in town.