I was incredibly lucky last month to escape Melbourne for a blissful weekend, to stay at Victoria's newest boutique accommodation offering.
Today, I'm sharing a tour of the remarkable Mitchelton estate in Central Victoria, which comprises a Hecker Guthrie designed hotel and pool, day spa, The Muse restaurant overlooking the Goulburn River, winery cellar door, and the largest indigenous art gallery in regional Victoria.
You can also WIN a stay yourself – scroll down to enter!
The new, Hecker Guthrie designed Mitchelton Hotel in Nagambie. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The hotel's foyer is an exercise in lux restraint. Photo – Tom Blachford.
Hotel foyer details. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The hotel foyer, designed by Hecker Guthrie, brings together a palette of natural stone and timbers. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The hotel spa. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The rooms bring together a moody, understand palette in shades of grey and natural timber. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The rooms feature artwork prints by the late David Band. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The hotel pool is a major drawcard! Photo – Gareth Sobey.
The 58-room hotel overlooks the pool, with views to the Goulburn river. Photo – Tom Blachford.
the Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art is an impressive subterranean space in the former Mitchelton wine cellars, represents more than 15 different art centres and communities. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The winery buildings were originally conceived by Robin Boyd, before his death in 1971, and completed by Ted Ashton in 1974 – its most distinctive feature being the famous 'witch's hat' tower, a 55-metre tower which offers breathtaking views across the region. Photo – Tom Blachford.
The Muse restaurant, overlooking the river. photo – Tom Blachford.
The Muse restaurant, with interiors by Hecker Guthrie. Photo – Tom Blachford.
Views from Ashton Tower, across the Goulburn River. Photo – Tom Blachford.
'We wanted the design to be restrained in its approach, but to bring in warm textural elements.' – Andy Ryan.
When you holiday as infrequently as I do, you really want to make it count.
You want to (ideally) handball your child to the nearest grandparent (thanks Mum!) and head somewhere close enough to get to on half-a-tank of petrol, yet far enough to feel like the world will not end if you leave your laptop at home.
I recently had a delightful stay at the new-ish Mitchelton Hotel in Nagambie, and I'm pleased to report, it fulfilled all of the above criteria and more.
Situated in Central Victoria's wine country, the estate was purchased by Gerry Ryan (of Jayco caravan fame), and his son Andy Ryan in 2011. The pair has strong family ties to the area, spending many family holidays on Nagambie's waterways. They even visited Mitchelton's Winery for lunches – many years before they would eventually acquire the property.
What Gerry and Andy purchased in 2011 was a working winery with an existing restaurant and cellar door. But the ambitious duo could see huge potential for this 115-hectare vineyard property on the Goulburn River. They had the vision to revitalise Michelton, and a big part of that plan was a bespoke accommodation offering.
'When we first purchased Mitchelton, we always felt that it was lacking a key ingredient to complete the estate and we identified that as a hotel,' Andy explains. After further investigations, the pair discovered that there were concept drawings for a hotel from the 1970s!
Architecturally, the winery buildings (comprising restaurant, cellar door and that iconic tower) are totally unique, having been originally conceived by Robin Boyd, before his death in 1971. The estate was completed by another celebrated Australian architect, Ted Ashton in 1974 – its most distinctive feature is the famous 'witch's hat' tower, a 55-metre structure which offers breathtaking views across the region. In recent years, Hecker Guthrie has lent their considerable expertise to the property's restaurant, cellar door and 54-room hotel. With an understated, elegant design approach that carefully balances old and new, they have paid the utmost respect to the property's strong design pedigree.
'The brief was pretty simple, we wanted a contemporary hotel that fit in within the regional environment,' Andy Ryan recalls. 'We wanted the design to be restrained in its approach, but to bring in warm textural elements through the use of materials and colour palette'.
From a personal point of view, that feeling of 'restraint' is very much apparent during a stay at Mitchelton, and really is part of its magic. Every detail is so well considered and yet, it's understated in every respect. High-end hospitality and design, without the 'showy' attitude – so refreshing!
We stayed in a beautiful room overlooking the pool and the Goulburn River, and enjoyed a wonderful, lazy long lunch at The Muse restaurant, under the vines. It was blissful, and felt a world away from Melbourne (despite being only a 90-minute drive!). I had an excellent treatment in the day spa, and we visited the Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art, an impressive subterranean space in the former wine cellars, which represents more than 15 different art centres and communities. The collection is particularly focussed on the traditional custodians of the land on which Mitchelton estate is situated, the Taungurung people.
– A one-night luxury midweek stay in a Twin Share room at the boutique Mitchelton Hotel, breakfast included.
– A glass of wine on arrival from the Mitchelton Estate range.
– Dinner for two at The Muse restaurant, with regional wines to match (to the value of $200).
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