Jackalope

Set on the site of Willow Creek Vineyard, Jackalope is a contemporary, cutting edge hotel that is already an award winner (Gourmet Traveller recently named Jackalope as Hotel of the Year, New Hotel of the Year and Regional Hotel of the Year). Not a bad achievement considering the property only opened its doors in April this year.

Rare Hare

There’s a buzz in the air in the Mornington Peninsula, and it comes in the form of a contemporary cutting edge designer hotel, formal restaurant, smart bar, casual dining experience and cellar door.  The name is Jackalope – and it’s the new home of Willow Creek Vineyard Wines. So what is a Jackalope? A Jackalope is a mythical North American folklore character – a rabbit with antlers – and this mythical symbol has been brought to life with a breathtaking sculpture by Emily Floyd, a Melbourne artist who is most famous for The Bird and the Worm on Eastlink.  This seven-metre magnificent Jackalope sculpture proudly sits in the forecourt of the property. Extraordinary, contemporary and bold, the Jackalope property is indeed a unique environment from a design point of view. There is so much more to cover, but the focus of this postcard is Rare Hare - a casual environment, with a food offering that is generous, honest and great value.

Rare Hare

There’s a buzz in the air on Mornington Peninsula, and it comes in the form of a contemporary cutting edge designer hotel, formal restaurant, smart bar, casual dining experience and cellar door. The name is Jackalope – and it’s the new home of Willow Creek Vineyard Wines. The vision of Louis Li's, a 29 year old Chinese national who has been living in Melbourne for ten years, Willow Creek Vineyard is now the site for the world’s first Jackalope Hotel.  Moving here as an 18 year old to study film making, Louis Li is well versed in luxury property development with his parents being involved in a number of luxury hotels and residential properties in Kunming in south western China.  So in a sense his first solo project is following in the tradition of his family business.   Being a film maker Lewis Lee is a great storyteller, and his first foray into hospitality shows his appetite for art and design and food culture, which shines through every element in this property.  His debut Jackalope Hotel in Merricks will be followed by a 40 room hotel in Flinders Lane which is scheduled to open in 2019.

Rare Hare Preview Dinners

The first of two preview dinners commences in collaboration with Mornington Peninsula Brewery and Commonfolk Coffee. Highlights include five rounds of brews and chews, with dishes like snapper crudo, wood roasted prawns, and lamb shoulder, all served with select MP hops.