High tea glamping school holiday package at Novotel Parramatta

Chilly, rainy days might be dreaded in the school holidays but a Sydney hotel has an inviting offer to relish the great indoors during the winter break.

The Novotel Parramatta has a glamping package for the July school holidays.

Rainy days might be dreaded in the holidays but on the plus side, in-room camping, high tea and a hearty breakfast buffet are antidotes to another week of showers forecast for Sydney.

The Novotel Parramatta is again offering its fun “par-tea glamping package’’ during the winter sojourn where youngsters can snuggle up in a teepee fitted with cushions, an origami set and play cards.

Afternoon time is a real treat and you can choose to have high tea delivered to your room at 2.30pm, 3.30pm or 4.30pm.

A three-tiered display is laden with sweet and savoury morsels but mainly features sugary treats so you might want to factor that in if you don’t want the youngsters climbing the walls at slumber time.

For my road test, I pick the latter option so it becomes an early dinner in the king suite lounge room – a very comfy space fitted out with a sofa, two armchairs and TV.

The delectable high tea is part of the glamping deal.

The bedroom has an oversized plush king bed, TV with a desk. The suite has two bathrooms (a head’s up – the showers are in the baths).

Donning the fluffy white robes and slippers make you kind of glad it’s raining and giving you an excuse to unwind.

Before retiring for the day, the thought of the buffet breakfast is comforting.

There’s a good selection on offer without being overwhelming and my hankering for an English breakfast is sated as I do my bit to empty bain-maries of bacon, scrambled eggs, beef and chicken cocktail sausages, mushrooms and golden-baked hashbrowns.

Cereals, croissants, muffins, pastries and fresh fruit are on offer too.

Children eat for free at the buffet breakfast.

The hotel has been a mainstay on Church St for decades and is at the tail end of the dining strip which is home to foodie magnets such as Bay Vista and Meat and Wine Co, and a stone’s throw from CommBank Stadium.

The sound of Parramatta light rail trams undergoing testing before their expected start in August can be heard from hotel rooms and can be seen snaking around the CBD.

The imposing Powerhouse Museum is under construction along the banks of the river and visitors can witness how Parramatta is morphing into “Sydney’s second city”.

Riverside Theatres are across the road where Neneh Superstar, the Cumberland Gang Show’s Off the Record and circus comedy Children are Stinky are lined up for the July break.

For a quiet retreat, the Prince Alfred Square park is nearby or visit the rambling UNESCO-listed Parramatta Park.

A trip to Parramatta is a chance for visitors to see how it is evolving and make the most of its offerings for foodies, sports lovers and shoppers.

A visit for locals is also a chance to make the most of attractions we sometimes overlook right on our door step.

If that doesn’t satisfy, head back to the teepee.

The glamping pack includes overnight accommodation, in-room high tea, a glamping pack, buffet breakfast (children eat free) and parking from $289 during the school holidays.

The writer was a guest of the Novotel Parramatta.

Originally published as High tea glamping school holiday package at Novotel Parramatta