Episode 17: Country house hotels
Join host Rebecca Judd and with Glen Moriarty, Brodie Harper, Giaan Rooney and Lauren Phillips for a tour of some of Victoria’s finest Country House Hotels. From Woodman Estate and Morning Star Estate on the Mornington Peninsula to Lathamstowe in Queenscliff and Peppers Springs Hotel in the Daylesford Spa Country, an experience of country hospitality is within two hours of Melbourne.
Woodman Estate
Mornington Peninsula isn't far from Melbourne and, if you know where to look, you can find somewhere to ensure your well-earned rest is one to remember. Woodman Estate offers accommodation to suit everyone, including conferences and weddings. As soon as you walk through the door it's like you've just found the perfect home away from home. The Lodge and Manor House offer spacious spa suits or garden rooms with excellent views of the property. For extra luxury, the Lakeside Chalets have a private lounge and dining room, an open fire, a king size four-poster bed and a spa. There's also the Woodman Estate Spa retreat, where you can indulge in a range of tailored massage, skin care and beauty treatments. All the treatment rooms are doubles, making it perfect for couples, and the retreat can add a gourmet breakfast or healthy lunch to your treatment.
Woodman Estate Luxury Country Hotel
136 Graydens Road, Moorooduc
Ph 03 5978 8455
www.woodmanestate.com.au
Peppers Mineral Springs Retreat, Villa Parma
Hepburn Springs was established in the gold rush of the 1850s by Swiss Italian migrants. Only an hour from Melbourne, this quaint town is known for its cafes and restaurants and is home to the stylish and serene Peppers Mineral Springs Retreat. This grand 1930s guesthouse is now a deluxe retreat and boutique hotel. There are 40 luxurious rooms and the exquisite Wild Birch restaurant and award-winning Mineral Spa and Wellbeing Retreat with three beautiful open-air mineral pools. Or for a really indulgent break with family or friends, there's Villa Parma. This heritage-listed building is self-contained with a luxuriously furnished lounge, dining room and kitchen. There are four lavish bedrooms, decorated with imported Italian fittings and fixtures, and each stunning ensuite has marble cobblestone tiles and a freestanding spas.
Villa Parma
124 Main Road, Hepburn Springs
Ph 03 5348 2202
www.villaparma.com.au
Morning Star Estate
A Country House Hotel should be a grand residence that's full of history, has beautiful gardens and offers divine food and wine. The Morning Star Estate has all of this and is only an hour from Melbourne in Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula. The accommodation is in the original dormitory rooms. They're not overly spacious, but there's so much to explore on the property that you wont be spending too much time in the room. The exquisite grounds are popular for weddings, where you can have a ceremony in the early 1900s chapel and a celebration in the grand ballroom. And don't forget the restaurant in the old woodworking classroom that is loved by locals for its fresh seafood. The property also has 38 acres of vines that were planted by the Franciscan order in 1932, making them the oldest on the Peninsula. You can taste and buy wine made from these grapes at the Jonesroad and Morning Star Estate cellar door.
Morning Star Estate
2 Sunnyside Road, Mount Eliza
Ph 03 9787 7760
www.morningstarestate.com.au
Lathamstowe
Back in the 1880s, the seaside village of Queenscliff, 100 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, was one of our most popular seaside resorts. Today, many of the era's grand mansions are still standing, like the luxurious Lathamstowe B&B. An example of the classic revival style, the building has arcaded verandas, an imposing tower, gothic stained glass windows, marble mantle and mosaic floor tiles, and has been filled with treasured antiques. The grand old bedrooms are super sized by today's standards and each have king-sized beds and bathrooms nearby. Most interestingly, the old cellar has been transformed into a luxurious bedroom with its own private stairway. Lathamstow'es formal dining room is another highlight with a picturesque bay window and a silver service brunch.
Lathamstowe B&B
44 Gellibrand Street, Queenscliff
Ph 03 5258 4110
Craig's Royal Hotel
Craig's Royal Hotel opened in 1853 in Lydiard Street in Ballarat, a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. There are 41 uniquely decorated boutique rooms that all have cable TV and an internet connection. Many of the rooms are themed, including the newly restored state rooms. And there's the Princes Room, the Reading Room with a tiled balcony and the Grand Dining Room with magnificent mirrors and crystal chandeliers. The Grand Dining Room is ideal for formal functions, the Bluestone Cellar is ideal for a dinner party, Craig's Bar specialises in snacks and cocktails, or there's the Gallery Bistro in a spacious, light-filled glass roofed conservatory or the Coffee Shop and Larder for luscious cakes or Sunday High Tea.
Craig's Royal Hotel
10 Lydiard Street, Ballarat
Ph 03 5331 1377
craigsroyal.com.au
Postcards diary
Snow Season Opening Weekend
It's the time of the year to head to at any of Victoria's alpine resorts and celebrate the opening of this year's ski season.
Where: Falls Creek, Mount Hotham, Mount Buller
When: 12–14 June 2011
More: skivic.com
Brown Brothers Winter Festival
If you're in the King Valley, don't miss a visit to Brown Brothers for a delicious feast.
Where: King Valley, Milawa
When: 11–13 June 2011
More: brownbrothers.com.au
Myer Stocktake Sale
And you can save enough for another holiday after a visit to Australia's biggest sale.
Where: Myer, all stores
When: now
More: www.myer.com.au