Need to escape the city? Try these regional hotels
In tune with the Australian road-trip revolution of 2020, new and upgraded regional hotels have been booming. Here are six of the best.
Byng Street Boutique Hotel, Orange, NSW
With just 22 guestrooms and suites, and chic and colourful decor inspired by Kit Kemp’s renowned interiors across the international Firmdale Hotels group, this family-owned gem, on a wide and leafy boulevard in the heart of Orange in the NSW central tablelands, punches well above its weight. The hotel showcases the best of local art, craft and design across an immaculately restored 19th-century building and an ultra-contemporary rear annex. The hands-on owners and concierge team offer a wealth of insider knowledge on what to do and where to dine in this fast-growing regional centre.
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Powerhouse Tamworth by Rydges, NSW
Heralded as the only five-star hotel in the New England district of northwest NSW, the property has just emerged from a three-year transformation by regional hotelier Greg Maguire and hospitality specialist Paul Kelly Design. The enhanced fit-out melds Japanese-inspired lighting with Australian timbers, bespoke leather touches and luxe marble surfaces. There are 61 refurbished guestrooms and suites plus 20 new serviced apartments offering a choice of one or two smartly kitted-out bedrooms. The property is a member of the family-owned Powerhouse Hotels Group, which owns a handful of properties in the New England region.
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Sequoia Lodge, Mount Lofty House, Adelaide Hills, SA
This small and well-established 33-room hotel, close to the South Australian capital, and with green surrounds and broad views of the Piccadilly Valley, has just added 14 suites in a premium Sequoia Lodge category. Expect open-plan interiors over 75 square metres, sandstone fireplaces and cantilevered balconies with daybeds, plus exclusive facilities and lodge guest experiences, including access to a Sequoia lounge and heated plunge pool, and dedicated concierge service. Bookings are open and all the new accommodation is expected to be on line by early 2021. Mount Lofty House is an Accor-managed property, a member of its MGallery by Sofitel top tier branding.
sequoialodge.com.au; mtloftyhouse.com.au
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Dairy Flat Farm, Daylesford, VIC
The Wolf-Tasker family, well-known for its Lake House boutique hotel and restaurant in Daylesford, northwest of Melbourne, had to scupper plans to open this luxury outpost on a nearby 15-hectare estate when the pandemic hit. But bookings are now open for individual guestrooms or sole-use party bookings of up to 12 guests. There’s something very continental about the notion of staying on a private estate, complete with olive grove and small vineyard, but the produce and ethos remain resolutely Australian and the interior design and fittings nod to a rural context. Be prepared for farm tours, cooking classes and local food experiences or just kick back, country-squire style.
dairyflatfarmdaylesford.com.au
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Kittawa Lodge, TAS
No state does luxurious and nature-focused accommodation in pristine settings better than Tasmania, and tiny Kittawa Lodge, on King Island off the Apple Isle’s northwest coast, is one of the newest stars. Opened late in 2019, the one-bedroom self-contained abodes feature a wealth of creature comforts. This is seclusion at its most luxurious, off-grid but not out of touch, on a 39-hectare property with private coves, beaches and an embrasure of unsullied natural environment. It feels like the bottom of the world, with not even a jot of deprivation.
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Flynn, Cairns, Queensland
A member of the fast-growing Crystalbrook Collection of hotels, resorts, restaurants and spas, the just-opened 311-room Flynn in one of the sunshine state’s biggest regional holiday centres is a sister property to the resort-style, similarly sized Riley. Both are on The Esplanade and are well positioned for visiting local attractions and setting off on Barrier Reef excursions. Design at Flynn is fun and funky, including a glass-sided pool at Boardwalk Social (cap S is correct) bar and diner; top ocean-view accommodation categories offer balconies facing the Coral Sea, including spacious two-bedroom Sea Suites.
crystalbrookcollection.com/flynn
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ON THE REGIONAL RADAR
Country stays are popping up everywhere. Here are three more exciting new openings to keep an eye out for.
Victoria: Sebel Yarrawong, within the Silverwoods Golf and Lifestyle resort, Murray River region; opened November, 2020.
New South Wales: Crystalbrook Collection Kingsley, Newcastle; due to open April 2021.
Tasmania: Hotel Verge, Launceston; opened November, 2020.