12 Of The Best Robe Accommodations | Australian Traveller

Elegant boutique hotels, self-contained private properties and fun holiday parks; for the ultimate seaside stay, we’ve got the perfect Robe accommodation for you.

Let’s just put this out there: when it comes to finding the ultimate Robe accommodation – whether that be something built for romance, family or a solo getaway – you’re not going to struggle. Dotted across the spectacular South Australian seaside town, you’ll find all manner of accommodation, each one more beautiful than the last.

1. Church on the Hill

the exterior of Church on the Hill in Robe — Church on the Hill combines the charm and old-world character of the original 1869 sandstone church.

Getting swept up in the history of Robe is as simple as booking in for a stay at Church on the Hill, a property which combines the charm and old-world character of the original 1869 sandstone church, and all the modern amenities one would expect in a luxury home, the result of a significant 2022 renovation and extension.

Sleeping up to 12 guests in five bedrooms in a range of configurations, standout features include a four-sided Cheminees Phillipe fireplace in the centre of the chapel living room, a sprawling deck with sweeping ocean views, an outdoor spa, a parent retreat with a kitchenette, as well as a stunning open-plan kitchen teeming with European appliances.

The perfect space for entertaining, for travelling with groups, multi-gen holidays, or just when you each really need your own space.

Address: 1 Davenport Street, Robe

2. Robe House

an aerial view of the Robe House — The charming Robe House sits in a pretty garden.

Looking for a charming stay? Robe House has got it in spades – largely thanks to its 1847 vintage and its early years serving as the home of the Government Resident. Built out of locally quarried sandstone and featuring high vaulted ceilings, the property is now very much rooted in the future, offering five fully self-contained apartments classified as bed and breakfast (they’ll provide provisions).

Located a short stroll from the town centre (and right by a scenic coastal walk), Robe House – set in a pretty garden – offers wi-fi, laundry facilities, barbeques, and log fires in two of the apartments, making them the perfect spot for that romantic winter getaway.

Address: 1 Hagen Street, Robe

3. Dunes at Robe

the holiday cottages at Dunes at Robe — The holiday cottages are spacious enough for group travellers. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission/Adam Bruzzone)

For those who prefer a more contemporary holiday option, look no further than Dunes at Robe, a hotel located on a quiet street, albeit with spectacular views of West Beach.

Choose from one of two holiday cottages, each one featuring two bedrooms, an open-plan living area, a fully furnished kitchen, barbeque facilities and – mercifully – air conditioning, and make good use of the property’s proximity to the town centre and the local golf club.

Address: 20-22 Backler Street, Robe

4. Lakeview Motel & Apartments

Sometimes, all you need is the perfect motel holiday overlooking a large body of water to unwind and make the most of your destination. The appropriately titled Lakeview Motel & Apartments, located on the shores of Lake Fellmongery, comes to the party to provide a little something for every kind of traveller.

From luxury two-bedroom apartments and deluxe spa suites to standard rooms and self-contained apartments – each one offering a view of the lake – configurations vary, but all have wi-fi, access to barbeque facilities, plus a free guest laundry (perfect when you’re so close to the natural bushland and pristine beaches of the region).

Address: 2 Lakeside Terrace, Robe

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5. Robe Hotel

the beachfront setting of Robe Hotel — Robe Hotel is just a stone’s throw away from the beach.

An iconic fixture of the local beachside community since 1947, there’s no doubt you’ll be dropping into the Robe Hotel for a meal or two, but why not book a stay and linger a little longer?

Offering the best of country and sea, the classically built hotel and pub – conveniently located within walking distance to the town centre – boasts 16 rooms across two floors, all with balconies making the most of those views and eight of which have ensuites.

A stone’s throw from the beach and just upstairs from some of the best pub grub you’re likely to experience anywhere, this is the ultimate beachside stay at an affordable price point.

Address: 6 Munday Terrace, Robe

6. Robe Holiday Park

a powered caravan site at Robe Holiday Park — You’ll find powered sites for camping and caravanning at Robe Holiday Park.

Welcome to a dazzling and oh-so-quiet bushland oasis located just five minutes either way from Robe’s town centre, as well as from Robe’s popular Long Beach.

Boasting just eight self-contained cabins, plus a host of powered sites for camping and caravanning, it would be easy to dismiss Robe Holiday Park as the perfect place for other families, until you consider how hard it punches for its size.

We’re talking firepits, jumping pillows, barbeque areas, an area reserved for mountain bike riding, birdwatching, a camp kitchen, and if that’s not enough, the holiday park is also home to a gin distillery. What more could anyone ask for?

Address: Corner Main Road and Nora Creina Road, Robe

7. Discovery Parks Robe

Behold the ultimate family getaway location, a lush (and rather gargantuan) world where kids can swim in the heated indoor swimming pool, play table tennis in the games room, hire a pedal bike to ride around onsite, jump on the all-important bouncing pillows and come the summertime, enjoy the kids’ club facilities.

If you’re thinking Discovery Parks Robe (formerly BIG4 Discovery Parks) has it all, you’d be right, with all cabins featuring a flat-screen TV, some offering an ensuite bathroom and most equipped with a kitchen. Camping or caravanning? All options, both powered and unpowered, are on the table.

Coin-operated laundry facilities, shared kitchen facilities and a kiosk are all available onsite, with the property located a five-minute drive from Robe’s town centre.

Address: 70 – 80 Esplanade, Robe

8. Robe Marina Apartments

Whether you’re after a three-bedroom marina-view apartment, a two-bedroom Waters Edge Apartment or a ground-floor one-bedroom deluxe suite, Robe Marina Apartments, a range of architecturally designed properties, has an offering for you.

All located within the town centre, the properties are a showcase of contemporary design, boasting modern furniture and appliances so you can truly unwind and take in the ocean views (with some only located just 50 metres from the water’s edge) without having to worry about a thing.

Address: Corner Beach Court & Lipson Terrace, Robe

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9. Sea Vu Caravan Park

a beach shack with ocean view at the Sea Vu Caravan Park — Each accommodation opens up to sweeping ocean views.

Prefer your holiday parks to be a little more… boutique in flavour? Sea Vu Caravan Park might be considered compact when compared with the other parks in and around Robe, but this is the only one with direct access to the sandy beaches of Guichen Bay.

Accommodation options range from over 100 grassed sites and beach shacks to ocean view cabins (with four different layouts to suit everyone from groups of six to couples). Cosy Beach Shacks and Seaside Cabins sleep up to six, also.

There’s a fully fenced playground for the kids, paddleboards for hire, a large indoor communal dining and living area, a kiosk, a fully equipped camp kitchen, and of course, several barbeques to enjoy that meaty fare. Best of all, the park is pet-friendly.

Address: 1 Squires Drive, Robe

10. Harbour View Motel

Classic motel stays are having a resurgence and one look at Harbour View Motel explains the popularity behind the trend. Having enjoyed multiple upgrades and renovations in recent years, the property – delightfully decorated in soothing pastel hues – is set just 50 metres from the start of a cliff-top walking track and a five-minute walk from the town centre.

All rooms (air-conditioned) feature an open-plan living space, and ensuite bathroom, with some available with kitchenette, others offering a spa bath and a percentage with a balcony overlooking Robe Harbour or Guichen Bay.

All guests enjoy direct access to Robe Golf Course, with a barbeque area, guest laundry and children’s playground available onsite.

Address: 2 Sturt Street, Robe

11. BASK

sun loungers under a yellow umbrella at BASK, Robe — Bask in the sunshine on sun loungers outside your beautifully styled cottage.

A beautifully styled cottage which wouldn’t be out of place in the pages of an interiors glossy sounds good enough, but said beautifully styled cottage with the perfect location within 100 metres of Robe’s finest restaurants, boutiques and Town Beach? It’s fair to say, BASK is covering all bases beautifully.

The two-bedroom, adults-only home has everything you could need for that perfect beachside stay, including a relaxing spa bath, a private outdoor courtyard complete with Weber Q and sun lounges, and yes, a split system air conditioner, which means you’ll be comfortable in winter as well as in summer. Will it be a romantic getaway or a trip away with friends? Your choice; the property is suitable for both. Will it be a romantic getaway or a trip away with friends? Your choice; the property is suitable for both.

Address: Elizabeth Street, Robe

12. The Caledonian Inn

There’s little doubt you’ll be tempted to pop into The Caledonian Inn, a historic English-style pub built in 1858, for a bite to eat, but those on a budget (as well as those keen to make use of the property’s central location) should look no further than the accommodation options available upstairs.

The six rooms upstairs – both single and double rooms available – may share a bathroom, but they’re cosy and have quick access to the fireside pub downstairs as well as the beer garden, with prices starting from just $77 per night.

Address: 1 Victoria Street, Robe

Head here for more tried and tested experiences to have in Robe.

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten, the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery, a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho, José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits. At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial, which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle, ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.

12 dreamy accommodations to stay at in Robe