Mount Lofty House hotel review

Mount Lofty House was this week awarded TripAdvisor’s best hotel in Australasia for the second year running. It’s not just the accommodation setting it apart.

Mount Lofty House in the Adelaide Hills has a supremely tranquil setting. Picture: Supplied

There’s a lot to be said for staying somewhere that is not only super comfortable and luxurious, but is also genuinely interesting.

Take Mount Lofty House for example. Comfortable and luxurious? Tick. Interesting? Emphatically yes.

Given the fact the hotel has been set up inside one of South Australia’s grandest, oldest and history laden properties, it’s no surprise the owners have seized on this.

But it’s another thing to do it well.

The luxurious rooms are a mix of old-world charm and modern amenity. Picture: Supplied

Guest relations manager Christopher makes us feel at home as soon as we arrive for our midweek stay, taking the keys to our car and collecting our bags to take to our room while we enjoy a complimentary glass of the estate sparkling wine.

When he returns to take us to our room, he leaves us with one main recommendation for our stay: join him for the daily Mount Lofty House history tour (more on that later).

Our Piccadilly Valley room is a delightful mix of old world charm and modern amenity and technology, decked with a lot of timber – the four-poster bed, huge architraves and skirting boards, solid doors and a cracker TV unit/buffet/bookshelf loaded with a library of books – sympathetic to the home’s era.

The room also boasts a modern bathroom, great airconditioning and all the mod cons you’d expect (Wi-Fi, Chromecast TV, Nespresso coffee machine etc) to make the stay comfortable.

Mount Lofty House is steeped in interesting history, which you learn all about during your stay. Picture: Supplied

It’s blessed with a balcony, which during our stay is the place to be for a coffee in the morning sun while soaking up the picturesque sweeping views over the estate’s pinot vineyard and around the Piccadilly Valley.

It’s a room that exudes a very homely feel, with enough luxuries to know you’re away from home and enjoying yourself.

The only minor downsides to note are some marks on the wall, a stain on a curtain and a ventilation issue in the bathroom that has caused paint to peel from steam and moisture.

As content and comfortable as we feel relaxing in our room and enjoying some of their famed home-baked cookies, we take Christopher’s advice on-board and join him and about a dozen other guests for the history tour. It’s a decision we don’t regret.

We meet in the house library where (complimentary) drinks are offered and our rather entertaining journey through the history of Mount Lofty House begins.

Christopher regales us with several interesting and entertaining tales from the estate’s more than 170-year-old history – from Arthur and Martha Hardy’s summer house and venue for wild parties, to the devastation of its gutting in the Ash Wednesday bushfires.

Thankfully after the fire, local architect Ross Sands set about rebuilding it, seamlessly extending it and opening it up as a hotel. Current owners David Horbelt and Malcolm Bean have taken the hotel to another level over the past five years.

The balcony is a top spot to soak up some sun. Picture: Supplied

The tour takes us through various rooms and parts of the house, each with its own really interesting and sometimes quirky story. Christopher’s passion for the tour is clear and it’s notable how his effort over the past couple of years to build and grow it into a memorable experience is paying off – much to the guests’ delight.

Our dinner is in the relatively new Martha Hardy’s Kitchen restaurant within the house. It’s the more casual dining option when compared with the famed Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant and a fair bit cheaper as a result. But the tastes are delicious and the portion sizes generous.

Sleep is a dream in the AH Beard bed, which the compendium tells us is a collaboration between the South Australian mattress maker and the hotel.

Martha Hardy's Kitchen at Mount Lofty House offers more casual dining with generous portions and amazing views over the Piccadilly Valley. Picture: Supplied

One of the few things that can get you out of the comfort of the bed, aside from an impending checkout, is the a la carte breakfast, which is included in the stay.

The breakfast, which is served in Martha Hardy’s Kitchen overlooking the Piccadilly Valley, is another highlight.

There’s various cold and cooked options, as well as coffee, juices and smoothies, served by friendly and attentive staff whose ultimate goal must be to ensure every guest leaves not needing lunch that day.

It’s no surprise Mount Lofty House is one of the most awarded hotels in the state, including TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Best of the Best Award for the best-rated stay in Australasia in 2022 and 2023.

And while the accommodation is clearly a winner, it’s the experience that truly sets it apart.

The author stayed as a guest of Mount Lofty House.