Jackalope Hotel: An Executive Retreat Review

Jackalope Hotel is the Mornington Peninsula's most talked-about luxury property, and for good reason. Set among 16 hectares of Merricks North vineyard, it combines gallery-quality contemporary art, a kitchen that operates at the highest level, and meeting spaces that are genuinely discreet. But it is not the right choice for every corporate group, and understanding when it is and when it is not will save you from an expensive mismatch.

What Jackalope Offers

Jackalope's 46 rooms and suites are among the most design-forward hotel rooms in regional Victoria. The property's commitment to contemporary art is institutional: works by significant Australian and international artists are integrated throughout the building, not as decoration but as a genuine curatorial program. The effect is a hotel that feels more like a private art collection than a commercial property.

For corporate groups, the key spaces are:

• The Jackalope Suite: A private meeting space accommodating up to 12 people, with natural light, vineyard views, and the kind of discretion that sensitive discussions require. This is the right space for a board working through a confidential agenda.
• Rare Hare: The property's casual dining venue, set in the vineyard, is available for private group lunches and dinners for up to 20 people. The kitchen's approach, seasonal, produce-driven, Peninsula-focused, creates a meal that feels genuinely of the place.
• Doot Doot Doot: Jackalope's fine dining restaurant, one of the Peninsula's most acclaimed, is available for private group dinners. For boards that want to signal that they operate at the highest level, a private dinner at Doot Doot Doot is the right choice.

What Makes It Exceptional

Three things set Jackalope apart from every other Peninsula venue for corporate groups.

Privacy: Jackalope's staff are trained to treat every guest as if they were not there. The property's culture of discretion is genuine, not performative. For boards navigating sensitive matters, this institutional commitment to privacy changes the quality of the conversation in the room.

Art: The presence of serious contemporary art throughout the property creates a particular kind of intellectual atmosphere. Directors who spend time in the art-saturated spaces of Jackalope consistently report that it shifts their thinking in ways they find difficult to articulate but immediately apparent. The art does not just decorate the space; it activates it.

Food: The kitchen at Jackalope operates at a level that is genuinely rare in regional Victoria. The ingredients are exceptional, the technique is precise, and the wine list, drawing on the estate's own Merricks North Vineyard alongside the best of the Peninsula's other producers, is among the finest in the region. For groups where the quality of the dining experience is part of the retreat's value proposition, Jackalope sets a standard that is very difficult to match.

When Jackalope Is the Right Choice

Jackalope is the right choice for:

• Boards of 8 to 12 who want the highest-quality intimate retreat experience available on the Peninsula
• Leadership teams where the quality of the setting is part of the reward and recognition value of the retreat
• Groups working through sensitive or confidential agenda items that require absolute discretion
• Organisations that want to signal to their leadership team that they are valued at the highest level
• First-time Peninsula retreats where the goal is to establish a benchmark that subsequent retreats will be measured against

When Jackalope Is Not the Right Choice

Jackalope is not the right choice for:

• Groups larger than 16 to 20, the property's intimate scale becomes a constraint at larger group sizes
• Groups that need full conference infrastructure, breakout rooms, AV equipment, professional events staff; RACV Cape Schanck is better suited to these requirements
• Groups where budget is a primary constraint; Jackalope is one of the Peninsula's most expensive properties and the pricing reflects that
• Groups that prefer a more traditional country house atmosphere; Lancemore Lindenderry or The Cambium may be better suited

Practical Information

Jackalope Hotel is located at 166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North. The property is approximately 80 minutes from Melbourne's CBD via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Corporate enquiries should be directed to the property's events team, who can design a bespoke program around your group's specific requirements.

The team works closely with Jackalope's events team and can manage all aspects of a Jackalope retreat, from initial enquiry through to post-retreat follow-up, as part of a fully managed retreat program.