Chateau Elan at The Vintage, Hunter Valley

/ Garrulous Gwendoline

It was well over twelve months ago that we had purchased a Luxury Escapes discount voucher for two nights at the Chateau Elan at The Vintage (Golf Club). It was intended as a birthday celebration for Bill, and in our naivety we were thinking that Covid19 lockdowns would be a thing of the past by the time September rolled around. Not so. So, after rescheduling twice, we finally got to stay there on the nights of Sunday 20th and Monday 21st March 2022. This was our first visit to this establishment, and it did not disappoint.

As the website says, the Chateau Elan is nestled among rolling vineyards and overlooks manicured fairways, and it claims to be “one of Australia’s finest integrated golf, spa and conference resorts located in the heart of the famed Hunter Valley”.

Check-in is from 3pm, and three or four receptionists were in full swing when we arrived, but everything was smooth and courteous, despite a short wait. We were allocated to an upper level room in one of the several villas in the extensive grounds surrounding the golf course. Each villa has four rooms upstairs and four below. As soon as I opened the door to our spacious room, I knew I was going to love our stay.


Some of you will remember that I had mixed feelings about the motel room we had stayed in a couple of nights prior. The amenity and cleanliness of this room more than made up for it.

Sliding doors led out to a balcony overlooking the golf course:

The afternoon autumn sun was slanting into my lens, so I wasn’t fast enough to capture a photo of a group of kangaroos lounging in a bunker. This photo is from a different angle:

Back inside, I found the bathroom as well appointed and spacious as the bedroom.

We wasted no time in getting our complimentary bottle of wine on the fridge, and in the meantime, I enjoyed a glass or two of something else while sitting on the balcony relaxing and reading before we headed out for something to eat.

The on site restaurant has not yet reopened for dinner service, and since we had enjoyed a slap up meal the night before at Esca Bimbadgen Estate (which I wrote about here), and it was not all that long since we had eaten a late lunch at the Hunter Valley Gardens (which I wrote about here), believe it or not, we settled on sharing a gluten free pizza at a local pub. Not quite the gourmet experience, but quite enough to satisfy us on this occasion.

Then back to our comfy room for a good night’s sleep in the king bed and to set ourselves up for the three tasting experiences included in the Luxury Escape package. They were to comprise cheese, wine, and spirits – and because of time constraints – I had all three lined up for the next day … more about that in the next post.

Footnote: It’s been a busy month since we had this short break, and I am about to set off for a one-week writer’s residency, so once again, there will be a lag before I get the chance to write about the rest of this road trip. But I will get there, eventually.

The residency will be at Bundanon, located on 1,000 hectares of bush and park land overlooking the Shoalhaven River, in the Shoalhaven. The gift of artists Arthur and Yvonne Boyd, Bundanon’s mission is to operate the property as a centre for creative arts and education, to scientific research and a place to explore landscape and Indigenous culture. I will be in the company of some awe-inspiring and talented writers as we work independently and meet once a day to exchange ideas. If you are in the area (near Nowra NSW) and wish to come along to hear about our experience, you can book here. It’s a free event.

23 thoughts on “Chateau Elan at The Vintage, Hunter Valley”

    • It is gorgeous Agnes. I am listening to the frogs chorus as I type this. But the six miles of unsealed road to access the Artist’s residences was terrifying. Large sections had been washed away in the recent deluges. More rain still in the forecast, with one sunny day meantime. We are all wondering whether we will get out. Apparently the previous group had to walk out, but their cars are no longer here, so something must have worked out.
      Anyway, got in a full day of writing before our 3pm daily conflab. Lots of interesting writers and projects.

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      • Well, that all sounds amazing if a little terrifying. The idea of being cut off is thrilling as long as it is only very temporary. Pleased to read the writing is going well. Do you think you’re more productive away from home and with like minded folk to share the daily progress and developments? Is there a cross-pollination of ideas? I hope you’re having a productive and fun time.

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        • We work individually until 3pm when we regroup. Each day two of us table a question to the group. Inevitably we talk about our projects and take strength and guidance from each other. Our accommodation is scattered around the courtyard. I share a kitchen with two others so there is an amount of additional chatting. I might visit another person tonight 🙂 And yes, absolutely more productive away from home.

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  4. Gateau Elan looks divine Gwen and well worth the long wait until you managed to get there. Love the golf course view from your balcony and of course the kangaroos! Enjoy the writers residency you are so creative that I’m you’ll adore it and gain much from the experience. M xx

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