Wind down with a cocktail or two at Melbourne's hip new hotel

Collaborations are all the range across the drinks business and the hospitality industry.

Melbourne hotel hotspot Hannah St Hotel has just launched a new collab with Malin+Goetz, a hip skincare brand founded in the very hip Chelsea neighbourhood of New York City.

The duo has unveiled The Wind Down by Malin + Goetz, an accommodation experience designed around "comfort, ritual and relaxation".

Here's what the hotel has to say: "Created in partnership with modern apothecary brand Malin + Goetz, the new package transforms an overnight stay into a sensory escape, where slowing down becomes the main event."

Fair enough.

"The collaboration draws inspiration from the shared character of Melbourne and New York."

Melbourne and New York are about as similar as myself and a LooksMaxxer.

But there is a legit link.

Hannah St Hotel occupies a location within the podium of The Queensbridge Building. Like New York's iconic Flatiron Building, The Queensbridge Building has become a defining architectural landmark of its city, creating a natural connection between two destinations celebrated for their creativity, culture and neighbourhood spirit.

At the heart of the Wind Down experience is Soft Flame, an exclusive cocktail developed by Hannah St. Hotel Bar Manager Ryan Brandon. Inspiration is drawn from the scent profile of Malin+Goetz's Dark Rum fragrance.

Guests can choose between two collab experiences.

The signature Wind Down by Malin + Goetz package includes overnight accommodation in a choice of Local, Traveller or Explorer Room types and Skyline or Lookout Corner Suites, plus daily breakfast for two, two Dark Rum-inspired cocktails served in Bar Hannah, nightly turndown service, extended 2pm checkout and a full-size Malin+Goetz Dark Rum candle to take home.

For those seeking an elevated retreat, The Ultimate Wind Down by Malin + Goetz is available exclusively in the hotel’s Terrace Balcony Rooms, the Melbourne Suite and the Hannah Suite.

Alongside all the inclusions of the signature package, Ultimate Wind Down guests can also enjoy cocktails shaken and served in-room on request, creating a private cocktail experience within the comfort of their suite. The premium package also includes a signature Hannah St Hotel robe to take home, "extending the feeling of indulgence".

Packages are available to book and stay from now until August 31, with prices starting from $705 per room for a minimum two-night stay. For online reservations and more info see www.hannahsthotel.com/packages.

* With 188 "uniquely styled" rooms, Hannah St Hotel is part of the Collection by TFE Hotels.

Yering Station links with MIFF

Yarra Valley wine producer Yering Station has long-time links with the arts community.

As well as a long-standing partnership with National Gallery of Victoria and the annual Sculpture Exhibition at the estate each spring, Yering Station has now partnered with the Melbourne International Film Festival as official wine sponsor.

MIFF, which begins on August 8 and continues through August 25, will include over 250 features, shorts and extended reality experiences landing across Melbourne, around Victoria and online Australia-wide.

The program launch was presented by Yering Station with artistic director Al Cossar saying: "This year’s MIFF program features over 250 films, with more than 400 sessions across 18 days, bringing together incredible Australian filmmaking, world cinema, drama, comedy, horror, animation, bold experimentation – things you’ve been waiting months to see, and others you never thought you’d get a chance to.

"The MIFF program this year, like every year, is a multi-faceted festival of cinematic excess, designed to delight, and sure to bring out the best in your imaginations."

International guests attending the festival include British screenwriter and director Luna Carmoon, award-winning Latvian animator Gints Zilbalodis and American filmmaker, poet, and photographer Raven Jackson.

The Yering Station marketing team describes the collaboration as "a beautiful partnership that celebrates the art of cinema and fine wine, proudly upholding our legacy of supporting the arts".

Wolf Blass takes an "exhilarating journey" with some dragons

Marketing departments come up with some unlikely combinations.

How about this one: House of the Dragon x Wolf Blass?

Yes, you read that one right: a fantasy franchise Game of Thrones spin-off collab with one of Australia's best-known wine brands.

The blurb tells tells me that I should "embark on an exhilarating journey into the heart of Westeros with the eagerly awaited second season of the HBO Original series, House of the Dragon".

Apparently, "as war rages and alliances crumble, I can raise my banners with the House of the Dragon x Wolf Blass collection - the second collaboration between Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products and Wolf Blass wine."

Somehow, I simply can't guess how, I missed out on the first collab.

But here goes: The Wolf Blass House of the Dragon Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV is "a sparkling tribute to the majestic dragons that grace the skies".

Of course it is.

There are also a collab chardonnay and a red blend, with all the wines on sale online or at Dan Murphy's outlets.

Enjoy. 🍷🍷

Sofitel sparkles for its 60th birthday

Sofitel properties are generally stylish - and very French accented.

This year, Sofitel celebrates its 60th anniversary and to mark diamond jubilee in style, the hotel brand has unveiled a collaboration with Place Vendôme-based jeweller Courbet.

The jewellery will showcase lab-grown diamonds and offer “a luxurious expression of the shared values that unite the two Maisons".

Sofitel boasts a strong environmental commitment - the ecological certification of its hotels, the removal of single-use plastics and the management of food waste.

Courbet, founded in 2018, also has a focus on sustainability. It's lab-grown diamonds come with the same gemological certificates as their mined counterparts, and with the same qualities determined by the 4Cs: carat, cut, colour and clarity.

“At Sofitel, we believe in a hospitality where luxury goes hand in hand with sustainability: in other words, luxury that inspires not only through its elegance, but also through its commitment to environmental and societal responsibility," says Maud Bailly, CEO Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery and Emblems (quite a job title Maud).

"The partnership between Sofitel and Courbet seemed like a natural fit to celebrate our 60th anniversary, our diamond jubilee, bringing together two Maisons anchoring French excellence in an eco-conscious approach.

"From this encounter emerged an exclusive collection of jewelry, featuring Sofitel's logo in bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings - pieces of jewellery that are both beautiful and socially responsible. We are thrilled to see this collaboration come to life today.”

The jewellery can be seem at sofitelboutique.com and in the brand's hotels worldwide.

Sofitel Hotels & Resorts was established in 1964 and was the first international luxury hotel brand to originate from France. It has over 120 hotels around the world.