Only 90 minutes (67 miles) from downtown Melbourne will land you in this little township at the far southeastern tip of the Mornington Peninsula. There are only 510 residents here but they are amongst the wealthiest in the country. Whether it’s a luxury home, a resort, or a hotel packed with great facilities or your own stretch of a campground on the beautiful Foreshore, you’ll find the very best Portsea has to offer here. Read on the find your perfect Portsea accommodation!
Portsea is for everyone – just book early!
It’s ok if you don’t have a multi-million dollar mansion overlooking the wild rugged surf of the Mornington Peninsula.
You can still holiday in Portsea Victoria and experience the beauty and the cool vibe of this wealthy summertime town. The trick is to BOOK EARLY! There is an entire range of accommodation options – from mansions to camping sites, and it is a compact peninsula so it’s possible to stay outside of Portsea and still experience it each day.
But don’t just come to see the beautiful homes on the cliffs – come and experience some of the best diving, snorkeling, surfing, and wineries in Australia.
And my favorite thing about Portsea and its relaxed seaside lifestyle? Weedy seadragons live here and you can look for them from Portsea pier!
Portsea Hotel
The beating heart of Portsea is the wonderful Portsea Hotel, locally known just as the Portsea pub!
Spread out over several tiered levels, facing the Bay and adjacent to the Portsea Pier, there isn’t a more central location for a Portsea holiday.
There are only 26 rooms at the Portsea Hotel so you need to book in advance. The rooms accommodate up to four people.
They have been recently renovated in a ‘Euro-nautical’ style. Some suites have bay views and lounge areas.
There’s a restaurant, bar, beer garden overlooking the Bay, and the Portsea Pier, and live music.
It’s a great spot for younger groups and couples rate it most highly.
It’s certainly the liveliest place in Portsea and had great indoor and outdoor spaces.
Portsea Village Resort
This is a great value accommodation in the heart of Portsea.
The large heated outdoor pool and spa are surrounded by individual apartments styled to look like the bathing houses of the Mornington Peninsula.
There’s also a lovely garden as part of this large complex.
The apartments have kitchens, dining rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms as well as private balconies.
Free parking and wi-fi add to the value of the complex but so too does the room service, gym, and tennis courts.
Mercure Portsea and Portsea Golf Club
Balconies that face the golf course are relaxing, as is the large outdoor terrace for drinks and meals.
The hotel has all of the facilities that are standard at Mercure hotels such as dry cleaning, laundry, a business center, and an express check-in and check-out service.
In fact, the hotel describes itself as a “fully integrated development incorporating a golf club, accommodation and function complex.”
There are different standards of rooms with some having sea views and private balconies.
Despite these lovely views and wonderful facilities, the staff of the Mercure is continually singled out by guests for their friendliness and professionalism.
I like that this four-star hotel opens for check-in is at 2 pm, whereas 3 pm seems to be standard in Australia and for Airbnb stays.
The Mercure is very close to Point Nepean National Park and equidistant from the Portsea Foreshore reserve and London Bridge Lookout.
Portsea Place – great for families and groups with pets
There is something very coastal about this home. It is a large 5-bedroom holiday home with 8 beds.
It also allows pets and so makes a wonderful summer holiday for a family or group.
Portsea Place has air conditioning, wifi, and is 800 meters from Shelly Beach
Portsea Quarterdeck – perfect if you have a pooch!
This lovely little holiday home is 300 m from Shelley Beach and has air conditioning and free wifi.
The holiday home has 3 bedrooms (it sleeps 6), a TV, an equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, a washing machine, and a dryer, and 1 bathroom with a shower.
It also has a fire for winter nights!
This house accepts pets and there is a park next to the house. The owners accept groups if they are over 27 years.
Portsea Camping
Unfortunately, there are no Portsea caravan parks, but there are two wonderful Sorrento Foreshore camping grounds.
These campsites can be booked directly online and there are detailed maps and instructions about booking your own stretch of luxury coastline.
Have a look at this camping checklist. See all the details and book online here.
Further Resources
- You can’t miss the Point Nepean Quarantine Station when you stay in Portsea. Leprosy, Consumption, the Plague and the Spanish flu are all a part of the sad and spooky history of this fantastic site right next to Portsea. See how to spend a wonderful day (or night!) at the Point Nepean Quarantine Station here.
- Now that you’ve seen the Mornington Peninsula, you must see the other side of Melbourne’s coastline: the Great Ocean Road and the 12 Apostles. See my Ultimate Guide to Great Ocean Road Accommodation here for where to stay on your trip.