From luxury winery retreats and chateaus to recycled trams and mud brick B&Bs, the Yarra Valley is full of tempting ways to stay.
Forget cookie-cutter hotels, when it comes to Yarra Valley accommodation it’s more choose your own adventure. Whether you’re after a romantic retreat for two or a fun reunion with family and friends, here are some of the best ways to stay in the Yarra Valley.
Luxury accommodation
Just like the fine wines you can sip during your stay, these luxury Yarra Valley hotels and lodges will have you savouring every moment and wanting more.
1. Chateau Yering Hotel
Best for: Romantic getaways
Experience the refined elegance of a stay at the Chateau Yering Hotel.
Step back in time at the Chateau Yering Hotel in what was once the home everyone wanted to be invited to in the Yarra Valley. The chateau dates back to 1854 and now has 32 suites, each with its own unique mix of antique furniture and art.
Relax in the elegant drawing room at Chateau Yering. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Every suite comes with a large marble ensuite and private balcony to look out over the Yarra Valley, while the signature Yering Suite is a split-level, apartment-size suite with a fireplace in the lounge and an antique half-tester bed in the bedroom.
Treat yourself to the Yering Suite, a split-level, apartment-size suite.
Location: Five minutes outside of Yarra Glen, the chateau is on a 250-acre estate right next door to Victoria’s first vineyard, Yering Station, and its cellar door.
2. The Farmhouse at Meletos
Best for: Adults only time – children under 14 years are not allowed
The two-storey historic building has 23 luxury rooms. (Image: Visit Victoria)
You’d be forgiven for thinking you were in the Tuscan countryside when you arrive at the Meletos Farmhouse. The two-storey historic building has 23 luxury rooms, furnished with textiles and collectibles from around the world.
Cosy up by the fireplace inside the Farmhouse. (Image: Visit Victoria)
The upstairs rooms have the best views across the vineyards while the Tuscan Suite, which can only be booked by phone, also has views from the stone soaker bathtub.
For the best views of the vineyards, opt for a stay in the Tuscan Suite.
Location: On St Huberts Road in Coldstream, the Farmhouse is adjacent to The Stones precinct where you should book ahead for a spot at fine dining restaurant The Stables.
You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Tuscany when you arrive at Meletos.
3. Yarra Valley Lodge
Best for: Golfing retreats
Surrounded by not one but two 18-hole championship golf courses, the Jack Nicklaus-designed St John course and the Henley course by Tony Cashmore, the Yarra Valley Lodge is the place to be for golf fans. Hire clubs are available, while the Heritage Retreat and Day Spa has tennis courts and a heated indoor lap pool for those who prefer other sports, plus the chance to be pampered in the treatment rooms. Each of the 102 guest rooms opens directly onto a terrace or private balcony where you might spot kangaroos hopping across the course at dusk.
Location: In the grounds of the Heritage Golf & Country Club, the lodge is part of a 120-hectare estate in Chirnside Park with easy access to trails and walking tracks.
Winery accommodation
You really know you’re in one of Australia’s best wine regions when you wake up in a Yarra Valley winery and look out at the vines.
4. Balgownie Estate
Best for: Wine tasting and spa pampering
One of the largest hotels in the Yarra Valley, Balgownie Estate has 70 rooms and suites all set on a Halliday Wine Companion 5-star winery. Accommodation options range from queen rooms to the two-bedroom, apartment-style Director’s Suite with a full kitchen, lounge and laundry. All guests have access to the indoor heated pool, steam room and gym, plus complimentary wine tasting. Balgownie is also home to a new Endota spa and offers stay and spa packages, as well as having the fine dining 1309 restaurant where guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Location: Just five minutes from Yarra Glen with views of vineyards and the Yarra Valley countryside.
Indulge in a winery stay at Balgownie Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria)
5. Yarrawalla Vineyard Cottage
Best for: Small family and friends get-togethers
A relatively new Yarra Valley winery, the vines at Yarrawalla were only planted in 1994, but the cottage where you can stay has been home to four generations of musicians, teachers, farmers, writers and more. The cottage sleeps up to five guests in luxury linens with two queen bedrooms plus a sofa bed in the sunroom. There’s an open fireplace for the cooler months and as well as having an indoor bathroom you can soak under the stars in the outdoor tub.
Location: At the base of Warramate Hill and a ten-minute drive from Healesville and the Healesville Sanctuary.
6. De’Vine Escape
Best for: Motel vineyard vibes
More motel than a luxury hotel, De’Vine Escape has 23 studio rooms looking out onto the working vineyards. The relatively simple rooms have private bathrooms, some with spa baths, and their own outdoor seating area, with privacy screens between the rooms. There’s also a shared barbeque area for those who would like to make their own meals.
Location: In the heart of Dixon’s Creek, around 7 minutes from Yarra Glen
Bushland and farm stays
Break away from the mundaneness of every day in one of these unique Yarra Valley stays.
7. BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park
Best for: Quirky friends and family getaways
For a stay that’s completely unique, check out the trams at BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park.
This holiday park’s latest way to stay is a true treat for tram lovers. After taking to the Melbourne tracks in the 1930s, then facing retirement in the mid-’90s two W Class Trams have been transformed into vintage-themed accommodation.
Prepare to be blown away when you step inside the repurposed trams.
Along with their attached ‘tram stops’ the trams can sleep up to eight guests and have full kitchens, three bathrooms, a lounge with 75” TVs, a hot tub and a gas BBQ with outdoor furniture.
The tram sleeps up to eight guests comfortably.
The stylish main en suite is a huge selling point.
This BIG4 also has glamping tents and pods, studio and family cabins and powered and unpowered sites for larger groups to travel together.
Location: Surrounded by natural bushland alongside Piccaninny Creek the park is on the edge of Healesville and just four minutes drive from the heart of town.
8. Chum Creek Hut
Best for: Getting back to nature and horse riding
Chum Creek Hut is set on a 136-acre horse ranch.
The Chum Creek Hut may look relatively modest from the outside, but when you step inside this renovated cattleman’s hut you’ll find a large spa bath, a comfortable bed and one of the biggest open fireplaces in the Yarra Valley.
The renovated cattleman’s hut is full of modern comforts inside.
Here the pet-friendly policy isn’t just for dogs but for horses too. Set on a 136-acre horse ranch you can travel with your own steed or book a ride on one of the Chum Creek horses. There’s a fully equipped kitchen for self-catering and a back deck with a BBQ and outdoor tables where you can have dinner or drink a glass of wine while keeping an eye out for kangaroos, wombats and wild deer.
Don’t forget to schedule in a proper soak in the spa bath during your stay.
Location: The property backs onto the Toolangi State Forest so you can ride or walk straight onto forest trails, and is 17 minutes drive from Healesville.
9. Nissen Hut
Best for: A couple of couples and fishing
The luxurious Nissen Hut is tucked away in divine seclusion on the Glenlowran Estate. (Image: @malia_)
The humble Nissen Hut has been given a luxury makeover on this Yarra Valley farm. Underneath that distinctive arched roof, there are two spacious en suite bedrooms, a spa bathroom, a modern kitchen and a comfortable lounge area where you can relax around the log fire.
The Nissen Hut is perfectly set up to facilitate a relaxing stay.
Stroll through the private landscaped gardens, do a spot of trout fishing at the property’s dam (BYO gear), play board games, Netflix and chill with the 50” Smart TV, or simply relax and look out over the wetlands.
The spacious interior.
Location: This 100-acre working farm is just north of Yarra Glen and Healesville and a ten-minute drive from the TarraWarra Museum of Art.
10. The Burrow at Wombat Bend
Best for: Romantic retreats and wildlife lovers
Wildlife lovers get first-class seats to this view with a stay at The Burrow at Wombat Bend. (Image: John Murray)
The billabong at Wombat Bend is a sanctuary for more than 150 species of birds and wildlife, and on the water’s edge wildlife lovers can snuggle up for a stay in The Burrow.
Settle in for a refreshing stay at The Burrow. (Image: John Murray)
The mud brick and cedar cottage has a soft queen-size bed with pure linen bedding, a cosy living area, a kitchen where you can cook up your breakfast provisions or plate up your pre-ordered chef-cooked meals, along with a well-stocked pantry and veggies from the garden.
Cosy up for a good night’s sleep in the queen-sized bed. (Image: Sue Forrester)
There’s a fire pit to toast marshmallows and when you’re ready for bed you can fall asleep to the sound of frogs before waking up with the birds.
Location: In a secluded section of Dixon’s Creek, just ten minutes from Yarra Glen.
Yarra Valley hotels
Big hotels are hard to find in the Yarra Valley, which is partly why so many people keep on coming back for more.
11. Peppers Marysville
Best for: Family travel and accessible stays
One of the biggest resorts in the Yarra Valley, Peppers Marysville has 100 contemporary rooms, a well-equipped fitness centre, tennis court, outdoor heated pool, a large restaurant, and a business and events space that can hold up to 350 guests. The family-friendly rooms include free cots and infant beds, with rollaway beds available for an extra fee, and interconnecting room options. Select rooms also have accessible bathrooms and wheelchair-accessible parking is available.
Location: The resort is found in the town of Marysville, just three minutes from the town’s centre, with views of the Yarra Ranges National Park and Cathedral Ranges.
12. The Yarra Valley Grand
Best for: A luxury pub stay
A Yarra Glen landmark, the Grand Hotel is a National Trust building that first opened its doors back in 1888. The rooms upstairs all have queen-size beds, flatscreen TVs, minibars and ensuites, including some with balcony access. But the best way to stay is in the Tower Suite, where you can stay in the top three levels of the tower and take in the Yarra Valley views from your private rooftop.
Location: Step out your front door and you’ll be in the heart of Yarra Glen and ready to explore the shops and cafes.
13. Oscar’s on the Yarra
Best for: Art deco lovers, romantic getaways
This 22-room boutique hotel started life as a farmhouse in the 1890s before being transformed into a guesthouse in the 1920s. At Oscar’s on the Yarra it’s easy to feel like you’ve been invited into a lovely private home with polished floorboards, art deco touches and twinkling chandeliers. Here the Yarra River runs through the backyard and most rooms have French doors so that you can step out onto the balcony and walk down to the water’s edge. Take a dip in the Yarra in the warmer months or gather around the four fireplaces in the lounge areas in cooler times.
Location: Just a couple of minutes from the tiny town of Millgrove, Oscar’s on the Yarra is also on the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail. Bring your own bikes or rent from Cog Bikes Australia in Warburton.
