Château Élan Hunter ValleyCredit: Château Élan Hunter Valley
Aerial view of Château Élan, Hunter Valley.
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As well as its wonderful wineries, the Hunter Valley, a two-hour drive north of Sydney, is home to distinctive luxury hotels and lodges.
Enjoy country elegance at Spicers Guesthouse
An iconic boutique hotel in Pokolbin, in the heart of the Hunter, Spicers Guesthouse underwent an extensive 18-month renovation in 2017–18, returning it to upmarket country elegance. The rooms have a classic style with muted tones, while the infinity pool overlooking the serene bushland makes for a stunning dip. Dining at the modern Italian éRemo Restaurant, with hatted executive chef Cameron Matthews behind the menu, is an ideal way to combine fabulous food with some of those remarkable Hunter wines that surround you.
Let the outside in at The Longhouse
The Longhouse is modelled on a traditional Aussie woolshed, but inside you’ll find spectacular modern design. Here, in a secluded spot in Pokolbin, three two-bedroom, self-contained suites with stylish living areas and well equipped kitchens all offer sweeping views of chardonnay grape vines and the mountains beyond. Set on a private 10-hectare vineyard, the Longhouse has a feel that is described as “raw luxury”, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, fireplaces, and sliding walls that open up onto a massive deck, where you can sit and watch kangaroos hop past.
Enjoy estate to plate at Voco
Country-estate style gets a splash of modern glamour at Voco Kirkton Park in Pokolbin. Rooms and suites decorated boldly in blue and orange offer views of manicured estate gardens or Hunter Valley countryside and the Broken Back Range. There’s plenty to keep you occupied when you’re not exploring wineries: play basketball, tennis or lawn games, go for a swim in the pool, grab a picnic hamper for the gardens, go and feed the estate’s pigs and chickens, or just settle in for high tea. You can also enjoy estate-to-plate fine dining at the hotel’s restaurant, Locavore, which offers seasonal and sustainable degustation menus.
Spicers Guesthouse, Spicers Retreats. Credit: Spicers Retreats
Guests enjoy the fire pit at Spicers Guesthouse in the Hunter Valley.
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Spicers Guesthouse, Spicers Retreats. Credit: Spicers Retreats
Guests enjoy the fire pit at Spicers Guesthouse in the Hunter Valley.
voco Kirkton Park, Pokolbin Credit: Voco Kirkton Park, Pokolbin
Guest Room at Voco Kirkton Park, Pokolbin
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voco Kirkton Park, Pokolbin Credit: Voco Kirkton Park, Pokolbin
Guest Room at Voco Kirkton Park, Pokolbin
Hit the fairways at Château Élan
For a luxury stay overlooking the greens and fairways of The Vintage, a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course 10 minutes’ drive north of Pokolbin, Château Élan offers elegant, spacious private villas and apartments in which you can relax as you plot your strategy for the next day’s round. Not a golfer? Fear not. Château Élan is also home to a luxurious day spa, with 17 treatment rooms, and a hydro lounge and deck area, where you can soak, sip something bubbly, and gaze at the mountains.
Group together at Tower Lodge
Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary for a large group? The Spanish Mission-style Tower Lodge building, part of the Tower Estate winery at Pokolbin, has a central courtyard around which can be found 12 eclectically designed rooms with vaulted ceilings, king-size beds and interesting treasures and antiques. There’s a bar, baronial dining room, library, 18-hole pitch-and-putt golf course, walking track, heated pool, sauna, gym and massage treatment room. The only drawback? You have to book the whole lodge.
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Sydney Harbour in SummerCredit: Destination NSW
Your dog will enjoy seeing the sights of Sydney as much as you do.
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Planning a sojourn to Sydney and don’t want to leave your beloved pooch behind? With hotels increasingly willing to cater to pets, there’s no reason you have to. From beachside to the inner city, these luxury escapes not only welcome four-legged friends, they also provide special inclusions tailored for dogs. Just be sure to book in early, as not every room in these properties can house pets.
Pier One Sydney Harbour, city centre
Nestled below Sydney Harbour Bridge in historic Walsh Bay, Pier One Sydney Harbour is one of the city’s more memorable stays. The hotel sits on a former working wharf over the water, and has devoted some of its ground-level rooms to furry family members. Stay here and your dog will have direct access to the boardwalk that wraps around the sides of the hotel facing the water, with plenty of seagulls to keep it entertained. Pier One’s Puppy Package comes with all the extras: an eco-friendly dog bed, food and water bowls, and a mini bar stocked with treats. Keen to really amp up the spoils? Check out the dog-friendly in-room dining menu, or book an outdoor spot at the hotel’s ground-level The Gantry Restaurant, which offers a Doggy Degustation menu with such treats as beef bone broth and Doglato (a gelato equivalent for pooches) for dessert.
QT Bondi, Bondi Beach
Right on the esplanade facing Sydney’s most famous city beach, QT Bondi welcomes guests trailing sand and their beloved pets. With its chic, contemporary style and energetic vibe, the hotel mirrors Bondi’s laid-back beach lifestyle and allows easy access to its café, bar and restaurant scene. The hotel offers a pet-friendly room that features a special mini bar filled with doggie treats and a pooch-friendly vegan in-room dining menu. Although dogs aren’t permitted on Bondi Beach itself, you’ll be in good company joining the parade of dog-walkers on the promenade, or head to the nearby Rose Bay Foreshore, where pets are free to frolic off-leash.
Little Albion, Surry Hills
The Little Albion boutique hotel occupies a charming former convent in Surry Hills, a leafy inner-city hub populated by creative types and dog lovers. There are two pet-friendly rooms at the hotel, both at ground level, with a bed, bowl and blanket included, but if it’s an over-the-top spoil session you’re after, the Plush Pup Package can’t be beat. Pets are welcomed with Mimi & Munch baked doggie treats on arrival; gifted with a The Daily Edited personalised name tag to look their fashionable best; booked in for a fitting with Dogue doggie stylist; assigned a butler, in case you need to dash out solo; and even receive a turndown service with Doglato.
Doggy Degustation, Pier One Sydney Harbour Credit: Anna Kucera
Chowing down on the Doggy Degustation menu at Pier One Sydney Harbour hotel.
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Doggy Degustation, Pier One Sydney Harbour Credit: Anna Kucera
Chowing down on the Doggy Degustation menu at Pier One Sydney Harbour hotel.
QT Bondi, Sydney Credit: QT Bondi
Your dog will love a fur-friendly stay at QT Bondi.
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QT Bondi, Sydney Credit: QT Bondi
Your dog will love a fur-friendly stay at QT Bondi.
InterContinental Sydney Double Bay
Despite occupying prime real estate in one of Sydney’s most prestigious neighbourhoods, the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay is not too posh to pooch. Suitably elegant and opulent in its well-to-do setting, the hotel invites dog owners to book its Pet Stay Package. Your room will be set up with a stylish pet bed and bowls, and you can order a meal from the dog-friendly in-room dining menu, which includes options such as Banjo’s Delight, a feast of Angus beef, pumpkin, carrots and sweet potato. Double Bay is conveniently close to the city and the Eastern Suburbs beaches, yet has a peaceful village feel and is the ideal idyll for people- and dog-watching.
Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour
Sydney’s sister Ovolo hotels, Ovolo Woolloomooloo to the east of the city centre and Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour in inner-city Pyrmont, are both dog-friendly and are equally luxurious and immaculately designed. But the Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour earns pooch preference points for being close to Pyrmont’s off-leash Waterfront Park. While all Ovolo hotels indulge human guests with complimentary munchies from the mini bar and drinks at social hour, pets also get the star treatment. The V.I.Pooch Package at each Sydney Ovolo includes a comfy dog bed, food bowl, and the never more aptly named doggy bag ꟷ packed with treats and toys they’ll drool over.
The Langham, Sydney
Pet-friendly may not be a description you’d first associate with the ultra-regal The Langham, Sydney, near Barangaroo in the city centre. Yet along with its plush interiors, a private tennis court, an indoor pool with an amazing painted dome and the serene The Day Spa by Chuan, it happily allows you and your furry charge to co-habit during your stay. Rooms are set up with a dog bed and eating bowls, there’s an in-house dog-friendly menu, and if you fancy letting yourself off the lead to hit the town, dog-sitting services can also be requested.
Pup Package, Little Albion, A Crystalbrook Collection Boutique Hotel Credit: Little Albion, A Crystalbrook Collection Boutique Hotel
Bedding down at the Little Albion hotel in Sydney’s Surry Hills.
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Pup Package, Little Albion, A Crystalbrook Collection Boutique Hotel Credit: Little Albion, A Crystalbrook Collection Boutique Hotel
Bedding down at the Little Albion hotel in Sydney’s Surry Hills.
The Langham, Sydney Credit: The Langham
Your dog will feel like canine royalty at The Langham, Sydney.
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The Langham, Sydney Credit: The Langham
Your dog will feel like canine royalty at The Langham, Sydney.