Emirates Wolgan Valley

[djfuzz]

Thanks for the great TR and pics, haydensydney.

We're staying there soon and were keen to see if anyone had stayed there recently or had any tips - your TR was a great help!

 

[haydensydney]

My partner and I have just returned from another stay at Wolgan Valley where we spent this past weekend with some friends in two separate Heritage suites.

We felt the resort had improved considerably. A lot of the staff were still there and most of them remembered who we were - lots of "Welcome back"s were given. Upon checkin, there was a member of staff from the spa who gave us hand massages during the checking in formalities. The general manager of the resort introduced himself also, which was a nice touch.

The service in the main restaurant wasn't the best, with the same issues found as last time i.e. wait staff are fairly inexperienced and they appeared nervous. We felt the food in the main restaurant had improved, whilst the food in the "lunch" restaurant wasn't as great as last time.

Because we were two separate couples, we booked two separate suites which worked out to be the same cost as one of the 2 bedroom suites. At the end of the stay we had a look at the 2 bedroom suites and they were fantastic: large size lounge rooms perfect for socialising. Instead, we found ourselves commuting to and from each others rooms which are generally designed for two people not four - therefore having this number of guests in the lounge room felt slightly awkward. Therefore my advice is if you are going with another couple and your comfortable with being in each others faces, definitely go for the 2 bedroom.

The 3 bedroom is exactly the same layout as the 2 bedroom, but there is a kitchen and a bedroom at the back. The pools were about twice the size of the normal Heritage suite pool.

I had noticed considerable improvements on my last stay, so wanted to share the good news with other AFFers who may be considering a visit.

PS... the horse riding is great (though my thighs are paying for it today) and getting a picnic arranged at one of their spots was fantastic! We also received a "hamper pack" of goodies from some of their local produce suppliers - a very nice touch.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Thanks for the update, still haven't made it there yet but it's still on my wishlist

 

[djfuzz]

Again, thanks to haydensydney for the lovely TR and photos which were a great help in our deciding to stump up to Wolgan Valley for a visit, and also in planning our stay.

Can't add a whole lot to the TR and photos already provided, but will add a few peripheral observations nonetheless. We were fortunate enough to get an incredible deal on a Heritage Suite (the basic suite, as above) - possibly one of the better publicly available ones at the time we booked - so we stayed for an extra night. As mentioned above, the rack rates for this place are significant, but if you can get in on one of their promotions, the value improves dramatically - particularly considering that it is pretty much all-inclusive.

We found the staff to be fantastic - had a few minor problems here and there, more due to our own requirements, but they responded very well. All were supremely knowledgeable about many aspects of the location and the various services as well, and the fact that the GM wanders around and checks in on the guests is terrific.

There are two activities on offer every day, but we only got around to using one each day we were there. The wildlife safari is great, really gives you an excellent overview of the property as well as an insight into the conservation work being done in and around it. Great to catch a rare glimpse of the albino wallaroos, as well as the famous Wollemi pines (only young ones, apparently the full-grown trees are at a secret location in the national park, to prevent theft and vandalisation). An evening spotlighting trip is also a great opportunity to catch wombats out and about. We don't ride, but did head out to the stables and would have loved to have given the arena riding a go. Also worthwhile is a trip to the 1832 homestead, where Charles Darwin visited, and which is quite well preserved. There's a great book of Darwin's Australian travels in each suite.

We spent the rest of the time availing ourselves of the suites (which deserve as much time as possible, again see above) and the Timeless Spa, which was also pretty great. We found the food to be great across the board, if not necessarily exceptional (though at least a couple of dishes would have to be so classified). Inclusive drinks were also terrific, found no reason to venture beyond them as there was ample variety and quality amongst the local produce.

I should qualify my comments by saying that it is certainly possible to construct a similar experience elsewhere for a similar (or even lower) price - but the fact that this resort is sold as an all-in-one package, with extremely personal attention from all involved, and a very high standard of amenity and a spectacular location, certainly make it an attractive proposition for a weekend (or more) away. I understand they are looking at attracting more meetings/conferences/incentives - I would love to work anywhere that would consider conducting such retreats at a place like Wolgan.

Occupancy does seem a little low at the moment - certainly much higher on the weekends than during the week - but I imagine it's a function of the seasons changing, as there's particular demand during both summer and winter. We also took the opportunity to check out the larger suites as they were unoccupied, and concur with haydensydney's conclusion that it is much better value (and comfort) to book a two bedroom suite if going up as a group. Not sure whether the Wolgan Suite (2 full bedrooms plus one 'staff' bedroom and kitchen) is necessary, given the fact that all meals are provided anyway, but may be worthwhile if you are travelling with carers or kids even.

Despite what it says on the website, the resort and the staff are actually quite responsive to families with kids. There were a couple of groups with kids during our stay, and while they were themselves well-behaved, the staff were very responsive to their needs. And between the suites, private pool and the activities (as well as the inclusive mini bar), there is plenty available to keep kids of all ages amused.

Getting to the resort was possibly the most annoying part of the experience - not being from NSW, we gave ourselves an extra night in Sydney. Coming into the resort on the Bells Line of Road from Richmond was generally fine, except for a considerable amount of traffic (bumper to bumper) up to North Richmond, but fine from there onwards. On the other hand, we took the Great Western Highway on the way back which was even worse due to the constant road works right up to the M7. I know you can organise transport (4WD or helicopter) from the resort itself, but the pricing for this was simply too great for us (would much rather have spent the money at the spa).

One interesting thing was the surprising lack of Emirates branding about the place - while the resort has its own branding which is apparent about the place (in a relatively muted manner, but for the many coffee table books featuring the resort itself), there was little acknowledgment that it was part of the Emirates group - let alone, part of a chain that includes the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa. While IMHO this is mostly a good thing (you're there to relax, not be marketed to), I thought it was a little surprising that there's not some leveraging of the Emirates brand, at the very least to create packages or opportunities for guests to further explore opportunities for similar getaways in the future. On the other hand, the resort is very generous with opportunities to extend the experience, such as through the purchase of certain customised items from the Heritage Collection (including the wonderful Heritage beds themselves).

 

[djfuzz]

Anyway, here are some photos that hopefully don't overlap too much with haydensydeny's (I pretty much took duplicates of all the above photos as well!):

The small 'waiting lounge' at the parking lot.

The main lodge, including the restaurants (Wolgan Dining Room, Country Kitchen), conference room, lounge and bar (Cognac Room) and wine cellar.

The amazing four-poster bed.

The Darwin book and magnifying glass.

View from the front deck across the private pool towards the mountains.

View from the suites back towards the other suites and the mountains.

 

[djfuzz]

View across the front of the resort towards the 1832 homestead and escarpments.

The famous Wollemi pine, which is replicated in the Wolgan Valley logo.

One of the elusive albino wallaroos.

The relaxation room at the Timeless Spa.

Detail of the table setting at the Wolgan Dining Room.