Tower Lodge Vineyard Hotel | Hunter Valley
A boutique Spanish-style luxury lodge in the heart of Hunter Valley wine country.
Why we like it
Most Hunter Valley stays offer a vineyard view and a cheese platter.
Tower Lodge offers a Spanish Mission-style estate with adobe walls, terracotta tiles and fireplaces you could park a Vespa in.
I love that it’s boutique, with just 14 suites, so it feels more like a private hacienda than a hotel.
The story helps too, because wine legend Len Evans created it back in 1999, when Australia had barely heard of a luxury lodge.
Fast forward and it’s had a multimillion-dollar glow-up, with a Basque-inspired restaurant and a whisky distillery on the property.
At Tower Lodge Vineyard Hotel in Hunter Valley – Spain turned up in Pokolbin and decided to stay!
Additional info
Tower Lodge sits at 6 Halls Road, Pokolbin, about a five-minute drive from Hunter Valley Gardens.
Cloistered walkways lead past a limestone courtyard to the 14 suites, each with its own styling and artwork.
Some suites come with private hot tubs, because soaking under the stars is an essential life skill.
You’ll also find an outdoor pool, bikes to borrow, and a concierge who can arrange winery tours.
Your booking includes tastings at the distillery.
Features:
Where?
Pokolbin, Hunter ValleyState
New South WalesWho we recommend it for
Couples, foodies and wine lovers who want a romantic escape or a celebration with serious wow factor.Bedrooms
Each of the 14 suites has its own personality, with bespoke furnishings, artwork and a Spanish-estate feel.
They’re spacious, so you won’t be fighting your travel companion for floor space.
Premium bedding, a free minibar and an in-room safe cover the essentials, so you can focus on the important question of whether to nap or soak.
Some suites come with a private hot tub, and the Tower Suite is a good one to look at if that’s on your wish list.
Things to do nearby
Sip your way through a tasting at the on-site distillery at the Tower Lodge Vineyard Hotel.
Channel your inner Robin Hood with a round of archery.
Hop on a bike and pedal between cellar doors, or let the concierge book a winery tour (there’s even a helicopter option for the dramatic).
Between wine tastings, treat yourself to a sauna session and a rejuvenating spa treatment.
Or do absolutely nothing by the pool or in your hot tub, which is a perfectly respectable itinerary.
Food and drink
Breakfast gets you started with a Basque omelette or shakshuka-style eggs en cocotte, which is a very good reason to get out of bed.
Dinner follows the Basque theme, with a farm-to-table approach and estate-raised dry-aged beef.
The wine list pairs Spanish varietals like Albariño, Tempranillo and Txakoli with some of the Hunter’s best drops.
Then there’s the whisky, because wine country apparently wasn’t dangerous enough!
Want to keep looking?
Reviews
“Tower Lodge is luxury with personality. It’s polished without being stuffy, and the Spanish theme is fully committed to rather than sprinkled on like paprika. The food, the whisky and the setting all pull in the same direction, which is rarer than it should be. The only real risk is that you’ll forget the other 50 wineries are out there.“
