Staying At the Novotel Vines Resort & Country Club in Swan Valley

I recently stayed at the Novotel Vines Resort and Country Club at Swan Valley, Western Australia, just 30 minutes away by car from Perth International Airport. It was during the last few days of Winter as Perth was moving into beautiful warmer days of Spring.

When I arrived on 27 August 2015, it was a bright sunny day and once I checked into a Standard Room 130 on the ground floor which came with a patio leading to a field of vines, I armed myself with my camera to capture what I felt was an amazing view.

It does get cold and chilly at night. One of the nights it went down to 9 degrees Celsius. Thank goodness for heaters in the room. Brrr….

You get amazingly blue skies and some light cloud cover here in Swan Valley. Trees and the vines here were still leafless from winter. Perfect for selfies and wefies, the scene here changes with the seasons and I would love to come check out Swan Valley again when there are grapes and leaves on these vines and perhaps play a round of golf or two after heading to the driving range to pick up whatever remaining knowledge of golf I have left since half a decade ago.

If you enjoy running, then you will find it perfect here. Or you could just head to the pool to swim, if it is not too cold or pamper yourself at the Spa.

This property houses 150 rooms in four categories – Standard, Superior, Suite and Bungalows and Apartments. The bathrooms and rooms have been recently upgraded. The rooms range from 32 to 60 sqm. The new bathrooms feature rain showers, back-lit LED mirrors with demist, under bench night light and an illuminated and magnifying shaving/make-up mirror.

The standard room I stayed in is spacious. Remember to bring your slippers, toothbrush and toothpaste, body lotion, and other toiletries as only hand soap, body wash, shampoo, and shower caps are provided. The room offers many electrical points to charge your mobile devices, including one on each side of the bed.

Each room comes with a MediaHub with an all-in-one audio/video connectivity panel that lets you connect a wide range of your electronic devices to the HDTV.

The bed is so comfortable, and I had a good sleep for the four nights I stayed here. So did this roo.

Pet Friendly Apartments Available

If you are travelling with your pet, the Novotel Vines Resort has been welcoming pets since late June this year in specially designated apartments for just A$20 additional per pet, per night. Dogs, Cats and even a pet pig has utilised the special accommodation.

The apartments have a fully fenced outside exercise and play area and a dedicated sleeping area. Bring your bedding and food, pet bowls, toys, leashes and waste bags. Novotel Vines joins Mercure Canberra and MGallery Fairmont Resort in the Blue Mountains, and other Accor pet-friendly hotels in Australia.

Call Novotel Vines Resort at +61 8 9297 3000 or email reservations@vines.com.au to book your pet-friendly accommodation.

Muscat Wins WA Restaurant & Catering Award

We wanted to try a very local crocodile dish and the chef from Muscat cooked up three dishes for us, including an interesting crocodile cheesecake which used to be on the menu previously. Now only the confit crocodile, lemon myrtle spring rolls with banana mayo is available on the menu.

Muscat Restaurant and Bar offers daily a la carte, buffet breakfast, and dinner.

Muscat Restaurant has recently won the prestigious WA Restaurant and Catering Award for “Restaurant within a Licensed Venue” for 2015. The team came up tops amongst other contestants such as Ishka at The Breakwater, Tata’s, The Currambine and the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club.

Golfing at The Vines

This is the same iconic golf club and resort for over a quarter of a century. The Vines celebrated its 25th anniversary on 16 September 2014. This course has been host to many international tournaments including the Heineken Classic 1993-2001, Johnnie Walker Classic 2006 & 2009 and the Lexus Cup 2007. International Golf Stars have played here including Norman, Els, Scott, Staddler and many others.

And yes the golf course is shared with the local resident family of kangaroos. Lots of them.

The Novotel Vines Resort and Country Club is located at Verdelho Drive, 6069 The Vines, Australia.

If you are travelling in a bigger group, you can stay in the bungalows and apartments which feature kitchens, lounges and balconies, one double bed and a choice of up to four single beds. They can accommodate up to four adults and two children.

The Sebel Swan Valley The Vines, another Accor Hotels property is also located within the vicinity.