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Review: Strathalbyn Villas

Strathalbyn VillasThis weekend, I decided to get away from the hubub of the city, and see what the Adelaide Hills had to offer. A couple of days away from March madness in Adelaide seemed like a fantastic idea, so I hit the net looking for bargains.

When I started trying to book accomodation however, I hadn’t counted on weddings. It seems that just about every place this side of McLaren Vale was fully booked due to the love season still running strong.

Luckily for me, while I was searching, I saw an ad in The Adelaide Hills Magazine about a new B&B which had recently opened called the Strathalbyn Villas and I managed to squeeze in a booking.

This sweet little duplex is located just off Main Street in Strathalbyn and overlooks the river.

I stayed in the Villa Chocolate, which was a one bedroom townhouse, complete with full-sized outdoor spa (which was WONDERFUL) and a lovely little deck off the bedroom which allows you to sit and soak up the view. Adjoining Villa Chocolate is Villa Red (and there is a common door in the living rooms if you want to stay with friends).

The owners of these villas have spent years renovating, and since the doors opened in September 2009, visitors have been able to enjoy the little details that makes this place a ‘must visit’.

It has everything you could want in an overnight/weekender.

  • Outdoor (undercover) BBQ
  • Outdoor spa (would comfortable seat 4 people)
  • High ceilings in the gorgeous bedroom complete with fireplace (plus wood & firelighters) , plus block out curtains
  • REALLY comfortable bed complete with electric blanket (which I truely didn’t need!)
  • Modern bathroom with heated towel racks, plenty of counter space and rain head shower
  • Plenty of linen including extra pillows, towels and outdoor mats for the spa, plus bath sheets etc
  • Flat screen TV & DVD player (complete with Audrey Hepburn DVDs among others)
  • Miele dishwasher (I’m going to buy one of these… it fit everything so no handwashing dishes!)
  • Microwave, oven, ceramic cook top
  • Coffee machine complete with freshly ground coffee (and a jar of chocolate biscuits!)
  • All kitchen essentials – plates, cooking gear, salad bowls, etc
  • A few pantry staples: olive oil, sugar, tea, jams, cereal
  • PLUS the gorgeous included breakfast of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomato, and freshly baked bread
  • Split cycle heating/cooling

In addition to all the extras, the fit out is top of the line and the place just has a feeling of luxury. It is quite fun to play spot the IKEA items though, as it seems pretty much all of the furniture and kitchen wear has been bought from there. The decorating has been done tastefully though, and it left me wanting to swing past IKEA on the way home…

The wooden deck which is accessed from the bedroom has a little table and chairs for two, which allows you to sit and enjoy a glass of wine while enjoying the abundance of native birds which are scattered throughout the trees along the riverbank.

It rained while I was there, but all outdoor entertaining areas were covered, so you can enjoy the entire place year round. If the weather is better, I’d recommend going for a walk along the river as it’s quite a gorgeous area, plus you’re so close to the old Main Street, you can go bargain hunting in the nearby antique stores if that’s your thing.

The lounge room was great for two people, but the tiny couch wouldn’t allow for guests, so you’d had to use the kitchen chairs to accomodate anyone visiting.

The only real down side to the whole experience were the mosquitos from the river. There were plenty around, but the owners of the villas have taken all sorts of measures to combat the pests, including mosquito incense sticks, plug in repellants, insect spray and screen doors. I’d recommend taking a spray on repellant however as it’s something I could have done with!

All in all, this was a fantastic experience and despite the rain, I had a great, relaxing weekend. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to get away in style.

Cost: $270/night or $250/night for a weekend

(Villa Red offered slightly less extras, so is cheaper if you are on a budget)

http://www.strathalbynvillas.com.au

HANDY TIP: On a final note, if you’re looking to book at the Strathalbyn Villas, I’d put some extra time aside in your day and visit some of the gorgeous Langhorne Creek wineries, like Angas Plains Estate,  which are just down the road!

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