You know a vacation is one for the books when you start contemplating permanent residence. Hotels that make exceptional use of their natural surroundings and are particularly well equipped to inspire that “When can I move in?” feeling.
That’s definitely what our guest contributor Simone Wyndham felt when she and her family decided to travel in Australia during a time like this, as a beauty and wellness advocate Simone shares with us her thoughts on what can be your next go-to experience for this spring, CF approved.
A Natural Yet Luxurious Travel Experience with Simone Wyndham
A trip to the local shops is pretty exciting these days and the total ban on international travel has meant for the first time in a long time, our family break was going to be in the car.
So, we coughed up the big bucks and started the adventure to travel in Australia by booking two nights at Emirates One & Only in the Blue Mountains a chic 5-star (arguably 6 stars) conservation retreat, located in the World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains region. From Sydney, it took us about 2 and half hours, an easy drive until the last 20 minutes of windy road, which proved too much for my 9-year-old, but easily fixed by stopping for a few minutes to level out his sea legs.
The Australian bush has a certain charm to it and it’s impossible to capture how remarkable this place is in photos. Everything is well considered, so any fears of a rough bush trip you easily leave at check-in. Wombats and Kangaroos roam freely around the villas and along the bike tracks and grounds. There is so much to do but so much privacy it’s easy to just enjoy yourself in your own way.
The One & Only Experience
Our villa is a large one-bedroom suite with an indoor plunge pool adjacent to the glass-walled living room, making it super easy to watch the kid’s pool play.
The room has a twin or a king bed and a large sofa bed in the lounge. The bedroom only has a partial wall so if you’re planning on the kids going to bed early, you probably need to plan a swim in the pool or a glass of wine on the balcony (weather permitting). The sofa bed whilst large was not great, but the staff quickly provided two rollaway beds, which were actually very comfortable. There is an open fireplace, blockbuster movies, and a well-stocked mini-bar with wine, juices, nuts & chips (all included in the price) so a perfect getaway for a couple or family of 4.
The highlight for us was the Wolgan Ranges where the children are taken for creek walks and adventures each morning, which allowed for a lovely hassle-free /childfree breakfast. We did the bonfire and star gazing which was amazing, but came at an extra cost, however guided star gazing is own is included in the price.
When we arrived at our villa mountain bikes were fitted and adjusted to suit each of us, including my 9 and 6-year-old. Lunch is included on arrival or departure so for our 2-night stay we enjoyed 3 full days. All meals are included and can be enjoyed in the restaurant or via room service. And the food was all amazing, a fine dining menu for dinner, a full breakfast menu, and a 3-course lunch menu.
On one night my husband wanted a gluten-free burger and the children a simple dinner of grilled fish and vegetables, all delivered to our room paired with some really great drinks and wine. My husband is a sommelier and can be a tough critique, but all the Aussie wines were impeccable.
The One & Only Spa
The spa is stunningly fitted out, the treatment and service did fall a little short of a 5-star spa; having said that, I am a very harsh critique as I’ve reviewed some of the best spas in the world. If you’re after some ‘me time’ it’s still worth a visit. Spa visits are not included in the price but a trip to the in-house steam room, sauna, and the gym are.
So, is it worth it?
When you consider all meals, wine, bikes, and adventures are all included, absolutely! If you yearn for good food and wine, you can easily make this worthwhile. What really sets this place apart is the staff, they can’t help you enough without being overbearing, which enables plenty of opportunities to actually relax. And when I asked for our next holiday where would you like you to go? WOLGAN!! WOLGAN!! WOLGAN!! was the answer….. time to start saving the big bucks…
