Are you or someone you know looking for a special venue for a wedding, family event or just an escape to the country? I have found a marvellous place just 160 kms from Brisbane, and I hope I can tempt you to go and explore!
It is the beautiful historic
Abbey Hotel in Warwick in the Darling Downs, Queensland.
The Abbey Hotel
Warwick is a beautiful town, surrounded by wonderful landscapes of natural scenery and many farms. The town itself has loads of
history and there are plenty of other interesting places to visit.
The one that stands out for me is the
Abbey Hotel, which was originally "Cloisters, formerly Our Lady of the Assumption Convent", built in 1892-3 as the second convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Warwick. It was heritage-listed in 1992 and when it was no longer a convent, it became a wonderful hotel.
As someone who is a member of historical societies and loves exploring old buildings and places of ancient significance, I was thrilled to stay at the hotel, and I can't wait to return one day.
All of the rooms are so wonderfully decorated, with discrete signs in most rooms giving details about the importance of the room, or the décor.
The welcome from Bazil the cat was friendly, as was the greetings from human staff members! (Actually, I didn't see Bazil initially, but I got a smooch from him on the second day!)
The front entrance of the hotel is remarkable and the gardens beside the circular driveway were delightful. There's plenty of parking at the rear of the hotel and more lovely gardens to explore.
On the ground floor is the chapel, complete with grand piano, and at the other end of the building is the restaurant. Yes, breakfast and other meals are served here, and there are some other function rooms as well.
There are a couple of events coming up in the region -
The Sunflower Festival at Kalbar (on the way to Warrick) in March, and the
Jazz and Jumpers Festival right in Warwick between July 21st and 31st, 2022.
But just go and explore the wonderful
Abbey Hotel. You'll be so glad you did.
