The Clairfield Hotel Is Mudgee’s Stylish New Escape

Incredible food, stylish amenities, and country hospitality await at the chic new The Clairfield hotel.

Picturesque Mudgee is renowned for its spectacular wines, fresh produce, and natural beauty. But the latest drawcard for heading to the region is the newly-opened The Clairfield Hotel . The accommodation masters the blend of country hospitality and modern design and is perfect for anyone looking to get away from the city for a long weekend.

From sourcing ingredients from local farmers for its menus to collaborating with regional artisans for its decor, The Clairfield Hotel celebrates the very soul of Mudgee.

Here’s everything you need to know before you book.

Location

Mudgee is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Sydney. The Clairfield is situated on one of the town’s main roads—Sydney Road—meaning you are conveniently placed to explore the surrounding wineries and the main shopping precinct.

The Clairfield, Mudgee — The Clairfield is in a prime spot for exploring the region.

Style and character

There’s a lot to love about the style of The Clairfield Hotel which was designed to connect with the landscape. Cat Cossettini from Habitat Living was called upon to decorate the guest rooms while Michelle Faure from Mooikin Design Studio the public areas.

From the pendants crafted by a local ceramicist to the high-end furnishings, attention to detail is prevalent throughout. Modern yet warm, the colour palette draws inspiration from the surrounding eucalypts, autumn leaves, and spring cherry blossoms in the form of marble, linen, tiling, and feature walls. Spotted gum joinery, brass detailing, and sandstone crazy paving bring timeless sophistication to the design.

The onsite dining destinations anchor the hotel, featuring a teal tile-clad central fireplace, monolithic pink marble bar, light timber furnishings, and olive trees.

Gigis Mudgee — The onsite dining destinations boast a contemporary yet warm aesthetic.

Facilities

The Clairfield shows its focus on wellness with its swimming pool, gym, steam room and wellness studio.

The pool area is reminiscent of those in Palm Springs and sits in the middle of the hotel grounds. Here you’ll find daybeds with umbrellas to unwind at and they’ve also thoughtfully placed a trolley filled with towels and sunscreen for guests to use. Adjoining the pool area is a communal outdoor area with tables and chairs and a central fireplace.

A few steps from here are the steam room and small onsite gym fitted with modern equipment.

If the fresh country air isn’t enough, bring further Zen to your trip by booking a session at the chic wellness studio, Jila where you’ll find a a relaxation space, two infrared saunas, and float therapy rooms.

Jila, The Clairfield — Jila wellness studio features infrared saunas and float therapy rooms.

There is onsite parking for guests as well as a conference centre.

Rooms

Where many hotels might skimp on decorating guestrooms with high-end furnishings, The Clairfield does not. Every room has been thoughtfully decorated in high-end furnishings from Sarah Ellison, Design by Them, RJ Living, and I Love Linen.

Rooms range from the comfortable Olive Queen to the spacious Summer Suite, and all feature tasteful art, crisp linen bedding, linen robes, and La Gaia amenities.

Families should book The Olive Family Room which offers two adjoining rooms, one with three single beds, and the other with a king-size bed.

Of all the rooms available, the Master Suite and Spring Suite are the most luxurious and include Samsung frame TVs, round freestanding baths, and Reuben Hill coffee. The Summer Residence is also equipped with a kitchenette and an outdoor area.

Food and drink

Dining at a hotel restaurant often feels lazy, but the food and drink offerings at The Clairfield Hotel are not to be missed. Helmed by Sam Potter, dining destinations Gigi’s and The Flour Bin celebrate the best of Mudgee produce, in a delicious blend of Modern Australian meets Italian cuisine.

Gigi’s has already cemented itself as one of the region’s best restaurants. For breakfast, don’t miss the smashed avo and feta on house pumpkin and rosemary focaccia, and the coconut pannacotta, quince, rhubarb, and maple granola. Guests will be pleased to know the coffee is top-notch as well.

For dinner, expect exciting flavours in dishes such as grilled local cabbage, pickled mustard seeds, hot honey, tarragon burnt and honey pannacotta with elderflower granita, meringue, and white chocolate, paired alongside a range of local wines.

The 30-seat The Flour Bin is around the corner and offers a more casual dining experience. Perch yourself at the pink bar or at one of the highchairs to enjoy woodfired pizzas and small bites alongside one of many local wines.

The Flour Bin, Mudgee — Enjoy small bites alongside Mudgee wines at The Flour Bin.

Accessibility

The Clairfield caters for wheelchair users and those who are vision impaired.

Family-friendly

With its swimming pool, family rooms, parking, and onsite dining venues, The Clairfield is a great choice for families.

Details

Address: 1 Sydney Rd, Mudgee

Best for: Anyone looking for a stylish country getaway.

Cost: From $230 per night.

Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

walking trails in the Yarra Valley — You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy — Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy — A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate — Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

kangaroos in Yarra Valley — Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

the Yarra Valley vineyards — Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway — The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

Playing there

the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley — Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

Eating and drinking there

Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station — The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Mudgee’s stylish new escape