Daylesford Royal Escape Package

Daylesford Royal Escape Package

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Posted 2014-04-15 by Nadine Cresswell-Myattfollow

I love to get away for what Bridget Jones refers to as mini-breaks. Sometimes it is just great to break the cycle of what you generally do at home, and being a writer I can generally take my work with me, but also recharge because I can intersperse that with refreshing new outings and experiences.

I often do the deals that WeekendNotes, amongst other places, advertise. In fact it was this link that originally brought me to WeekendNotes in the first place.


As long as you research these places and check out the reviews, generally you can't go wrong. I have written about some of these accommodation deals previously. For example the Angasi Bar and Grill in Portarlington and the excellent Vue Apartments & Spa in Geelong. You will find these places continue to come up in daily deals every now and again.


But sometimes vouchers can be a bit of drama. You need to be quite organised; booking them before they expire, for example, and then remembering to go to something you may have booked a few months in advance.

[ADVERT]So it is always pleasing when you find that the same deal is on the hotel's website.

This was the case with the that I did last week.

I thought it represented excellent value and Daylesfrod is such a charming place to visit.

A mid-week stay cost $234 for two nights. It included light breakfast provisions in the room, a bottle of champagne plus a $50 voucher to be used in the hotel on meals or drinks as well as a late midday checkout. So in reality the accommodation came down to around $90 or less a night. Booking directly through the hotel meant I could go the following week.

Even when you have done your research there is always a little bit of trepidation about what cheapish accommodation is going to be like. I checked in at the old historic pub and climbed the stairs to await my fate.

Turning the key in the door (how nice not to have to use a piece of plastic), a lovely vision met my eyes.

The room was incredibly spacious with high ceilings and great care had gone into the decoration. The decorator had gone mad with the fleur-de-lys but it worked.

There was a large wall TV which you could see from the queen size bed, the comfortable couch or the spa in the bathroom.


French doors opened out onto a wide country pub balcony. Just the place to crack open that bottle of the champagne with some salted nuts bought from the supermarket just across the road. With views through leafy trees it was a fine place to be.

Breakfast, as mentioned, was provided, cereal and fruit but no toast (although there was a toaster in the room). There was also everything you might need, including lots of dishes and cutlery. I guess this was in case you decided to have take away meals in your room.


Having learnt from bitter experience I had brought my own coffee and plunger as I can no longer do instant coffee. Although downstairs the bar served some of the best coffee in town with a few locals even coming in for take-aways.

The bistro was what you might expect from a country pub which is trying to be all things to all people. There were screens with video hits and a lot of signage about betting which I assume occurred in the bar somewhere.

The staff were always extra-friendly and helpful.

As I went on my own, to get some work done, I was able to use the $50 voucher totally on myself.

This saved a lot on not having to go out for dinner.

The first night I had the grilled salmon on a bed of fennel and spinach and it was absolutely delightful. The following night, a serve of roast lamb filled the gap.


There was an Indian restaurant called Anshumann almost across the road which does a $11.90 lunch tray with curry, rice, salad and yoghurt. The meals are huge, especially if you are on a budget, and the naan bread excellent. They cook everything according to your request for "hotness" so this is not an express lunch. There are better places to eat in town but probably not cheaper and if you just wanted to fill a hole, especially with carbs, it was fine.


A couple of reviewers I noticed had concerns about noise. Being there mid-week I had no issues whatsoever. The balcony has fine views in the distance but if you look straight down there is a traffic roundabout. Again, I had no issues and had two very pleasant nights' sleep.

If you haven't been to Daylesford in awhile you are set for a treat. The shops and cafes are real treasures. There are some gorgeous walks and if you are into rummaging in second hand shops this is certainly the town for it.


While I didn't need to eat out, a couple of places I know of that are fabulous to eat at are the Farmers Arms and Kazukis , a Japanese restaurant that received a coveted One Hat in the Age Good Food Guide in 2014.


Details:

Stay valid from Sunday – Thursday at the $234 price ($90 surcharge incurred on Friday & Saturday reservations). Blackout dates include public holidays, Easter and Christmas.

Bookings phone: 03 5348 2205



#accommodation
#escape_the_city
#food_wine
#frugal_friday
#near_melbourne
#romantic
#victoria
%wnmelbourne
152032 - 2023-06-14 06:09:04

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