A BIT OF HISTORY…  The Hunter Valley Lodge and Retreat opened in 2014 after extensive renovations of the original buildings. The Lodge was previously run as a private house with a 3 bedroom bed & breakfast (called Indian Ridge) and the Retreat was a self-contained house. The buildings were designed and built by an American gentleman who once lived in the Hunter Valley and wanted to create a home away from home.

Before starting renovation work on the buildings, our vision was to create a lavishly rustic and luxurious space whilst maintaining the style of the original building. Large groups of family, friends or colleagues can enjoy their time cooking and eating together, or to simply relax by themselves in the privacy of a spacious bedroom, a verandah, or in a comfortable chair in a secluded alcove with a good book and favourite drink. The styling is playful and based on a Canadian hunting lodge, complete with vintage paraphernalia, tartan blankets thrown on comfy leather sofas, and hunting relics paired with modern pieces.

First, we added a large fireplace in the heart of the Lodge to throw natural light onto the cathedral ceilings. Next came the huge entertaining deck with the best sunset views in the Hunter. Then we opened our huge games room (Bison Den), built two semi-commercial kitchens and commissioned our massive dining table. We added more rooms including the Stag Room with its stunning King wooden four-poster bed. The furniture, artwork and special pieces were sourced or custom built to maintain the rustic theme and environment.

Our range of taxidermy (or stuffed animals) include our deer, bison and bear which are all historical items we inherited with the property and have given them a new home. We love all animals at the Lodge so we would never harm them in any way. In fact, our neighbour is the Hunter Valley Zoo and you can hear the lions roar at dusk which is a fabulous experience to behold. The Zoo is a wonderful place for kids and includes a small animal petting section (not with the lions!) so take a short stroll down there and enjoy!

THE HUNTER VALLEY LODGE AND RETREAT is situated on 5 private acres surrounded by lawns and gardens with stunning views over the Valley. The property is located down a country lane adjacent to the Werakata National Park and is right in the centre of the Hunter Valley wine region. The property consists of four separate buildings, the Lodge, the Retreat, the Lion’s Den Studio, the Bison Den (Games Room) and the Laundry, all just 50 metres apart from each other. The Hunter Valley Lodge and Retreat has 10 large bedrooms and 7 bathrooms and if you include the Lion’s Den Studio (which can be booked separately), this brings the total to 11 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. The whole property can accommodate from 16 to 33 guests in total or 27 guests in individual beds.

Within the property grounds and gardens, there is a small dam and rotunda, bocce court, giant chess set and a croquet lawn. The Lodge has a huge outdoor deck, a large modern swimming pool (closed in the winter months), a 5-person hot tub/spa, an outdoor lounge area and a massive outdoor table with BBQ and entertainment area. We also have a cubby house for the kids and an enclosed dog run and kennel for your furry friend.

We provide free WiFi and six TV areas. The televisions are located in the second lounge at the Lodge (with Foxtel), in the Stag bedroom, the Lodge dining room (with Foxtel), the Retreat lounge room and the Studio lounge. We also have a cinema area in the Bison Den games room with a large TV, two WiFi speakers for music and a Blu-ray player with a huge DVD and CD library.  We also have an EV charger for your electric vehicle.

The Lodge

The main building known as the Lodge, consists of 6 spacious bedrooms with 3 on the ground floor with 2 large bathrooms (one with a freestanding bath). Each ground floor bedroom is unique. The massive Stag Room has a four-poster king bed and can accommodate between 2 to 5 guests (if required) by adding an additional King bed and/or three King single beds.  The Whitetail Room has a Queen bed and King single bunk beds separated by privacy curtains, and the Chital Room has a Queen bed. On the first floor, we have 3 large King bedrooms with their own ensuites (the King beds can be split into King singles if required) and each of these rooms can accommodate another single bed if required.

The Lodge has 7 reverse cycle air conditioners and all rooms have ceiling fans and heating. There is a large central lounge area on the ground floor with a huge fireplace plus a TV lounge on the first floor. The dining room has an oversized dining table that can seat 24 guests with a second table for another 4 guests.

The semi-commercial kitchen is fully equipped with cutlery, crockery and glassware for up to 35 guests. The kitchen also has an extensive range of cookware and utensils. There are two separate ovens plus a microwave oven and two dishwashers. There is a large fridge/freezer in the kitchen plus a large commercial glass-fronted drinks fridge in the dining room. Other kitchen equipment include blenders, two toasters, two kettles, two Nespresso machines, rice cooker and an electric fry pan.

The outside entertainment area is perfect for groups and has a swimming pool and 5-person hot tub surrounded by a large deck. The deck area is covered by a large shade sail and has a dining table which can seat up to 26 guests, an outside lounge seating area with sun loungers, and a BBQ area with a hooded BBQ and a flat top BBQ.

The Retreat

The Retreat consists of 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The 2 bedrooms located on the ground floor have Queen beds and the 2 bedrooms on the first floor have one King bed and a King single bed in each room. The King beds on the first floor can also be split into King singles if required. The Retreat has gas heating on the ground floor and a reverse cycle air conditioning on the first floor. All bedrooms have heating and ceiling fans. The Retreat has a modern kitchen/dining room with dishwasher, oven, gas cooktop, microwave, kettle and toaster and Nespresso machine. The kitchen is equipped with crockery, cutlery and glassware for up to 12 guests. There is a large TV lounge located on the first floor and an outside entertainment area with table and chairs.

The Studio

The Lion’s Den Studio is a private modern converted shipping container located near the rear of the property and has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, lounge and a lovely sun deck with old French Bath. There is a single sofa bed in the lounge room, a TV, a fridge and a Nespresso coffee machine, kettle and microwave

The Bison Den

The Bison Den is our games room with a cinema area with large screen TV and Blu-Ray player (that can also play music), a pool table, table tennis table and a gas fireplace. There is a lounge seating area and lots of board games, children’s toys and games. The bocce court is located next to the Bison Den.

The Laundry/Outside Loo

There is a laundry with a washing machine and dryer plus a toilet for the Bison Den.

Provisions

We provide two irons with ironing boards and a hairdryer in all bathrooms complete with toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner and body wash. We provide a selection of Nespresso Pods (about two pods per person) plus tea, coffee, sugar, salt and pepper. We also provide cling wrap, aluminium foil and baking paper.

Bedrooms – Bedding and Linen

All bedrooms have luxurious commercial quality Sealy beds and mattresses and all are equipped with a desk, desk lamp and additional seating. Many of the King beds can be split into two King singles if required. All beds are made with crisp cotton commercially laundered linen. We have a firm and a soft pillow selection for each bed. We use a light quilt in the summer months and two quilts in the winter. There is also a good selection of warm blankets. We provide one bath towel per person (extra if your stay is over 3 nights) and all bathrooms have bath mats and hand towels. You will need to supply pool towels and face washers if required.

Bedding Configurations

Must be confirmed 14 days before your stay. The bedding configuration can be as follows.

THE LODGE
Ground Floor 
The Stag Room – King four-poster bed plus one King single bed (3 guests)
(OPTIONS ON REQUEST ONLY for 4 or 5 guests)
King four-poster bed plus two King single beds or King four poster bed and King bed (4 guests)
King four-poster bed and King bed plus a single trundle bed (5 guests)

Whitetail – Queen bed plus King single size bunk beds  (4 guests)
Chital  – Queen bed (2 guests)
The two large bathrooms are located immediately outside the ground floor bedrooms.

First Floor
Caribou – King Bed or two King singles with ensuite (2 guests). An additional 3rd foldout bed is available on request (3 guests)
Muntjak – King Bed or two King singles with ensuite (2 guests). An additional 3rd foldout bed is available on request (3 guests)
Sambar – King Bed or two King singles plus additional single bed with ensuite (3 guests)

THE RETREAT
Ground Floor
Werekata – Queen bed (2 guests)
Yengo – Queen bed (2 guests)
Two modern bathrooms

First Floor
Watagan – King bed or two King singles plus single bed (3 guests)
Flat Rock – King bed or two King singles plus single bed (3 guests)

THE STUDIO (available on request only)
Queen bedroom and single sofa bed in lounge (3 guests)