Best Lorne Accommodation Options On The Great Ocean Road

Find out where to stay on the Great Ocean Road with our guide to the best Lorne accommodation.

Great Ocean Road’s classic holiday hotspot of Lorne is perennially popular with visitors from near and far for good reason. With the ability to enjoy both forest walks and beach swims, and a thriving food scene offering everything from coastal Italian fare to top-notch burgers, Lorne ticks all the boxes required for a carefree beach break.

Whether you stay in a tiny home in the forest, a beachside luxury holiday home or an amenities-packed resort, there’s no shortage of Lorne accommodation options to choose from.

Hotels

1. La Perouse Lorne

Best for: Couples and solo travellers who appreciate the finer things in life.

the view from the bedroom at La Perouse Lorne — Wake up next to breathtaking views.

A touch of European refinement on the Great Ocean Road, this four-room, boutique hotel truly is a home away from home. In your room, you’ll find everything you need for a splendid stay, including Aesop bath products, a Smart TV, a Smeg minibar, a drinks trolley, cotton beach towels and a Dyson hairdryer to dry your hair after a day at the beach. The library, garden and terrace (where a Parisian-style breakfast is served in the morning) are lovely communal spaces to relax and chat with other guests or your friendly hosts Sue and Laurel.

Address: 26 William St, Lorne.

2. Lorne Hotel

Best for: Beachgoers, foodies and travellers who value convenience.

the front facade of Lorne Hotel — This iconic hotel offers one of the most beloved stays in town.

Lorne Hotel has been a local landmark for 145 years and counting. Stay in one of this hotel’s contemporary rooms and you’ll enjoy the convenience of being right across the road from the beach. You’ll also have direct access to the bistro and beer garden for summer ales in the sun.

Address: 176 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne.

3. Qdos Treehouses

Best for: Art-loving couples and solo travellers seeking a quiet break in nature.

If an eco-art retreat sounds right up your alley, then the Qdos Treehouses are for you. The five, Japanese-inspired treehouses designed to suit couples are fringed by eucalypts which offer privacy and peace. Here you are free to immerse yourself in nature away from the trappings of city life. Spend your time wandering the sculpture garden, visit the gallery space and enjoy a nourishing breakfast of eggs from the owner’s chooks and kitchen garden greens in the gallery cafe. Bliss!

Address: 35 Allenvale Road, Lorne.

Airbnbs and holiday homes

4. Vista 180

Best for: A luxe group getaway your loved ones will remember for years to come.

the interior of Vista 180 accommodation in Lorne with windows that open up to sea views — The accommodation comes with a balcony that opens up to sea views.

Dubbed as ‘a place to make memories’ Vista 180’s blockbuster panoramic ocean views will certainly linger in your mind. This premium holiday home located just 100 metres from Shelly Beach is worth saving up for. With space for up to 11 guests, this is a luxe getaway spot perfect to celebrate a big birthday, anniversary or special weekend with friends. By day, use the open-plan, entertainer’s kitchen to whip up a seafood lunch to enjoy on the deck in the sun and by night retreat indoors to drink cocktails and chat by the fireplace. Like a fine wine, this is a property worth savouring.

Address: Armytage Street, Lorne

5. Lorne World

Best for: Budget-conscious solo travellers and couples.

Located a short walk from Lorne Beach, Lorne World’s compact studios are packed with personality. Each room is a colourful homage to a different far-flung destination from Santorini to Malibu, with each room having everything you need for a great stay including a television, kitchenette and espresso machine. If you’re after a well-priced beach break with a bit of flair, pack your bags for Lorne World.

Address: 3 Bay Street, Lorne.

6. Seaview House

Best for: Group getaways and celebration stays

the lounge area inside the Seaview House, Lorne — The accommodation is designed for surfers and beach lovers alike.

With five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a spacious deck, an outdoor shower, a firepit, a games room and a basketball ring, Seaview House is an entertainer’s delight. Perfect for a multigenerational holiday, group getaway or weekend to celebrate a milestone, this incredible luxury pad in South Lorne is worth splurging on.

Address: 106 Smith Street, Lorne.

7. The Charred House

Best for: Architecture and design lovers.

the exterior of The Charred House in Lorne — Its architecture blends well with nature.

This striking holiday home is an awesome spot for an indulgent beach break with your family or friends. A five-minute walk from the beach and central Lorne’s cafes and restaurants, the Charred House is in a prized position, although you’ll probably want to maximise your time at the property itself, such is its beauty. Kick back in the lounge room by the log fire with a glass of red in hand, bliss out in the oversized bath or read a paperback out on the deck in the sunshine. A stay at the Charred House encourages slow pursuits.

Address: Richardson Boulevard, Lorne

8. Lorne Bush House Cottages & Eco Retreats

Best for: Wildlife-loving families, couples and groups.

the beds inside Lorne Bush House Cottages & Eco Retreats — Settle into a private bush retreat.

Just 4-minutes’ drive from central Lorne, this private bush retreat is a wholesome spot to enjoy a break in nature. Choose from a cottage, bush house or glamping tent kitted out with private ensuite, Smart TV and a deck with your own barbecue to cook a feast on by night. There’s plenty of colourful birdlife (and other native wildlife) in these parts, so be sure to spend some time at this property appreciating the wonders of nature.

Address: 1860 Deans Marsh-Lorne Rd, Lorne.

9. Qii House

Best for: A DIY wellness weekend.

the living space interior of Qii House, Lorne — Retreat into this rustic and chic accommodation.

Built in the 1970s by Melbourne architect Edgard Pirrotta, this offbeat ecolodge just 18 minutes from Lorne is an ideal space to host a DIY retreat with friends. With a teahouse, bathhouse area and Japanese-style gardens, you have all the ingredients for a wellness weekend with friends in the forest. Travelling solo or with your partner? Book one of the tiny houses to spend a glorious day or two immersed in nature – the outdoor hot tub, hammock and fireplace make it easy to enjoy the outdoors.

Address: 630 Benwerrin-mt Sabine Rd, Benwerrin.

Resorts

10. Cumberland Lorne Resort

Best for: Active travellers of all ages.

the bedroom at Cumberland Lorne Resort — Bed down at Cumberland Lorne Resort.

With an indoor heated swimming pool, spa, sauna, tennis courts, squash court and games room, Cumberland Lorne Resort has amenities galore. Room configurations span from one-bedroom apartments to a three-bedroom penthouse, so there’s a space to suit everyone here, including people who use wheelchairs. While the amenities are great, you’re also just across the road from Lorne Beach for morning swims in the surf and afternoon walks in the balmy breeze.

Address: 150 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne.

11. Mantra Lorne

Best for: Families, groups and couples who love active breaks.

a living room with windows looking out to the sea at Mantra Lorne — Soak up the sea views from the living room.

12 acres of landscaped gardens, tennis courts, croquet lawns, steam rooms, an indoor heated mineral pool, a gym and an 18-hole putting green make Mantra Lorne an incredible spot to stay if you love getting stuck into activities on your break. When you’re not making the most of the amenities, kick back in the Larder for breakfast or dinner or order from the in-room dining menu to enjoy dinner in the comfort of your room or apartment.

Address: Mountjoy Parade, Lorne.

Camping Grounds

12. Allenvale Campground

Best for: Nature-loving, experienced campers who are cool with using non-flushing toilets.

Fancy a few, budget-friendly nights off the grid surrounded by nature? Visit the Parks Victoria website to book a campsite at the Allenvale Campground . For just over $15 a night, you’ll be able to sleep in a serene spot right near the banks of the St George River.

Connecting with nature is easy when it’s right outside your tent. Wake up in the morning to birdsong, unzip your tent, and then spend your day walking the trails of the Great Otway National Park. At dusk, keep your eyes firmly fixed on the river for the resident platypus that emerges to feed just before the sun sets.

Since this campsite is in the Great Otway National Park, you’ll need to leave your pets at home and bring your own supply of drinking water and a fuel stove or gas barbecue for cooking (since no fires can be started any time of the year). Since this campground only offers unpowered campsites for tents (no vans, tiny homes or RVs allowed) this private, peaceful spot is ideal for quiet campers who enjoy the simple things in life.

Address: Off Allenvale Road, Lorne

Caravan Parks

13. Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park

Best for: Budget-conscious travellers and people travelling with pets.

an eco safari tent at Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park — The eco safari tent is equipped with modern comforts.

Whether you’re staying in a cabin or eco safari tent, or are rolling your own RV into one of the dog-friendly powered sites, Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park is a great base camp for adventures in Lorne and beyond. What is actually five parks (Erskine River, Kia Ora, Ocean Road, Top Bank and Queens Park) in one, the spacious caravan park is a family favourite. Enjoy lunch at a picnic table along the river, use the communal barbecue to cook up a feast, let the kids go wild on the pirate ship-themed playground or walk down to the beach for a fun day in the surf. Whatever you do, this is a beach break spot that won’t break the bank.

Address: 2 Great Ocean Rd, Lorne.

Discover the best things to do in Lorne.

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.

Geelong cellar door wine bar — Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.

Paddock Bakery andPatisserie — Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

At Paddock , one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand.

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

“A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.

And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.

The rise of a food and wine destination

Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915 . Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco.

The Woolstore , one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.

Woolstore menu — Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

Breathing new life into historic spaces

On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.

“We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.”

Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.

handcrafted pieces — Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”

A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”

13 of the best Lorne accommodation options to add to your travel list