Crown Hotel Traralgon
Several hours east, in the heart of Traralgon, Crown Hotel Traralgon has been on its own transformative journey. Originally established in 1884, the hotel was passed through generations of the Phelan family before being taken over by local publicans Brett and Sharyn Melbourne in 2021. Following an extensive redevelopment, the venue reopened as a vibrant, contemporary pub that still holds tight to its rich history.
For Brett and Sharyn, the award for Overall Hotel of the Year – Regional wasn’t just about bricks and mortar, but about creating a venue the Gippsland community could call its own. “The best thing about us is that we are a unique venue in the area,” Brett said. “We are modern, and the young people love us. Our menu is different, our product is different, and that’s why our locals come to us.”
A standout feature of Crown Hotel Traralgon’s offering is its menu, built around smoked BBQ trays cooked low and slow over a blend of apple, cherry and hickory woods. “We try to make it a BBQ- happy venue, even if you’ve got groups of three, four or five,” Brett explained. “It’s a really delectable and slow type of cooking, and we bring something different to the valley. Gippsland is really huge, so we set the tone for our region and try to be good at what we do.”
Complementing the menu are impressive beverage offerings headlined by Carlton Draught tank beer — an unpasteurised brew transported fresh and cold from the brewery to the venue. It’s a rare offering that has quickly become a point of pride for the hotel, representing the team’s commitment to quality. “One taste and you’ll understand,” the venue proudly states.
Beyond food and drink, Crown Hotel Traralgon has invested heavily in creating versatile, beautiful spaces for the community to gather. Their function spaces, Phelan’s and The Bench, cater to everything from weddings and milestone birthdays to corporate events, and offer the kind of personal, welcoming hospitality for which country pubs are renowned.
For both venues, these awards are more than a moment of recognition. They’re a reflection of the people — the families, the teams, and the communities — that bring them to life. Both Hotel Sorrento and Crown Hotel Traralgon are proof that the secret to a great pub lies not only in its history or its fitout, but in its heart. And if the plans already underway at both hotels are anything to go by, the best is yet to come.
Hotel Sorrento
From the clifftops of the Mornington Peninsula to the heart of Gippsland’s Latrobe Valley, two of Victoria’s most remarkable hotels have taken centre stage, claiming the most prestigious honours at the 2025 State Awards for Excellence. Hotel Sorrento and Crown Hotel Traralgon have each been awarded the coveted titles of Overall Hotel of the Year — Metropolitan and Regional respectively, recognising not only the incredible venues they’ve built, but the passionate teams and communities behind them.
For Hotel Sorrento, the win was a moment, generations in the making. Established in 1872, the hotel has long been a cherished part of the Sorrento township, its clifftop views of Port Phillip Bay and rich heritage making it a destination for locals and visitors alike. Today, third-generation siblings Bridget Bailey and Marcus Pitt continue to lead the family business, maintaining a deep connection to the hotel’s history while ensuring it remains relevant in a contemporary hospitality market.
“As a family hotel, remaining true to the heritage has been really important to us from the get-go,” Bridget shared. “Just modernising ourselves with our clientele is something that has naturally evolved.” That evolution has seen the hotel expand far beyond its origins as a seaside pub, now boasting luxury accommodation, a newly revitalised day spa, conference facilities, multiple restaurants and bars, and dining options designed to reflect the best of the region.
A key figure in that transformation has been Executive Chef Beth Candy, a Mornington Peninsula local whose culinary philosophy champions regional produce and growers. “We are very lucky to have an abundance of amazing produce from not only the food perspective, but also the wine offerings,” Bridget explained. “Beth is a local girl and is so passionate about food and supporting locals, which is a huge part of what we offer.” Under Beth’s leadership, the hotel’s menu strikes a balance between inventive new dishes and time- honoured classics — a reflection of the hotel’s broader approach to preserving history.
And there’s plenty more on the horizon for Hotel Sorrento. The team revealed exciting plans for a brand-new Lobby Bar, a wellness centre, an upgraded conference room, and an entirely new accommodation wing featuring 59 rooms, set to be unveiled by December this year. “There’s something really exciting coming up,” Marcus said. “It’s going to be an amazing addition to what we already have here.”
Winning the title of Overall Hotel of the Year – Metropolitan was a moment Bridget and Marcus admitted they’ll never forget. “It was surreal,” they said. “We were simply not expecting it. It’s a huge honour and a massive testament to the entire team. They are our family — we wouldn’t be up here tonight if it wasn’t for them. Trust and loyalty are big ones for us at the hotel,” Marcus added. “And loving what we do — our parents instilled that in us since they got the hotel in 1981, and it’s something we will try to emulate through generations to come.”