Ballarat

Set in one of Ballarat’s most historic streets, Abena’s is a stylish self-contained house only a few minutes from Sovereign Hill and the CBD. Three bedrooms feature a four-poster bed, a double and two singles, with luxury linens, and there is a comfy lounge and a kitchen with all mod cons where guests can cook the generous welcome hamper (bacon, eggs, muesli, yoghurt etc) at their will. Other creature comforts include a flat-screen TV, DVD library, books and magazines, and toys for kids. A private patio and rear yard are another bonus of this relaxing family-friendly retreat.

www.ballarat.com/abenas/

This beautiful heritage hotel, built from 1862, features 41 elegant suites and rooms bedecked with antiques and featuring luxury bathrooms (suites have spas). The gracious public areas, bars and dining rooms have been restored to their original splendour. The Melba Suite is lavish, with a real mahogany bed; the Tower Suite has sweeping views across Lydiard Street; and the Oriental Suite boasts an elaborately carved 600-year-old wedding bed. The hotel’s fine dining venues include a grand Victorian dining room, sun-filled conservatory and rustic bluestone cellar.

www.craigsroyal.com.au

Built in 1890, this self-contained Victorian villa has been graciously restored to accommodate eight guests in four bedrooms. There are two bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, a large lounge room with dining table, central heating and an open fire. Antique furniture and a claw-foot bath add to the Cumberland’s heritage charm. It is surrounded by a lovely garden with boxed hedge parterre in the front and a paved area at the back with old-fashioned bikes for childhood fun. Its central location makes it ideal for walking to restaurants, theatre, antique shops, art gallery and even the local railway station.

www.ballarat.com/cumberland/

This beautiful 150-year-old bluestone cottage has a National Trust A-classification, which translates as ‘to be preserved at all cost’. As the first bluestone residence on the Ballarat goldfields – and the only one remaining today – it operated for 35 years as a tourist attraction showing how people lived in that era. Today it has undergone a massive renovation to offer luxurious private accommodation with great flair and style, with French provincial-style furniture, claw-foot bath and open fires. Guests can relax in the original old cobblestone courtyard and swing in a hammock under a shady century-old Ellison orange apple tree. Pampering and indulgent packages are available. Minimum two-night weekend stay.

www.montroseofballarat.com.au