52
(oneof 23 acrosstheboutiquehotelanditscorporate
wing),forexample,Itakeinthecolourfuland
geometricartofBuninyongartistRobynBatrouney.
ItplaysoffagainsttheillustrativeBrunschwig&Fils
wallpaperit’smountedonandthesinuousstained-
glasswindowinthestairwellopposite.
OurLolaDeluxeis,pleasingly,moreofthesame:
ariffontextureandcolour.Thestylingthroughout
thebedroomandseparatelivingareaechoesCabarita
Beach’sHalcyonHouseandLondonandNewYork’s
FirmdaleHotels:abig,boldbedheadisplumpedupwith
plushcushions;antiquefurnitureismetwithmodern
upholstery;vintageandmodernprintsinmismatched
framesarejuxtaposedagainsteachother.Andthere’s
Aesopinthebathroom,whichisalwaysagoodsign.
We’regreetedwithawelcomenoteandabottleof
localwineandeventhoughIwasanticipatingthis–
partofthedealwhenyoubookdirectlythroughthe
website–itstillfeelslikeanicesurprise.A‘Provincial
HotelPassport’offersfurtherwelcomeandalistof
recommendationsonwheretoeat,drinkandplay
nearbyaswellasfurtherafield.
AfteralongdrivefromSydneyweoptforalow-key
pubmealdowntheroadratherthandiningatelegant
in-houserestaurantLola(namedaftertheexoticdancer
andactressLolaMontez,whocausedasensationwhen
shevisitedtheGoldfieldsinthe1850s),butmakea
beelineforbreakfastthereinthemorning.Headchef
ShaunThomsonhasworkedalongsidethelikesofPeter
Gilmore,NeilPerryandPeterKuruvita,andhismenu
celebratesBallarat-regionproduceatanytimeofday.
Wesettleintoanavy-leatherbanquetteinthebright,
sunnydiningroom,wherethecolourpaletteandstyle
notescarrythrough.MyAussieclassicofpoached
eggsandavoontoastwithlocalMeredithfetaisdone
justright;asismyStAlicoffee.Ourstayhereatthe
Provincialhasindeedbeenatreat–aspromised.DETAILS
THEPROVINCIAL
HOTEL
121 LydiardStreet
North,Ballarat,Vic;
theprovincialballarat.com.au
Verdict:It’snosurprise
TheProvincialHotel
recentlywonBest
BoutiqueStyle
Accommodationat the
TourismAccommodation
Australia(Victoria)
awards:thisis theideal
crashpadfora cultural
weekenderin Ballarat.
Score:
We rated: The attention
to detail: from the
passionate staff to the
thoughtful notes and
beautifully executed
styling throughout.
Seemingly five minutes
from everything, its
location too is ideal
for exploring this very
walkable city by foot.
We’d change: We watched
a film on the room’s
Apple TV (another nice
touch) but couldn’t quite
get comfy on the couch!
Notes: We paid $255
for one night in a Lola
Deluxe room, plus $25
each for breakfast.“HAVE YOU STAYED HERE BEFORE?” The
receptionist asks sweetly when my partner and I check
in. We tell her no, and she tells us we’re in for a treat.
The Provincial Hotel has only been open for three
months or so when we rock up on an autumn evening,
and there’s a buzz in the air that reflects the buzz on
the street in Ballarat right now; this new boutique
accommodation feels like the perfect complement to
the recent crop of culinary and arts offerings that is
securing the old gold town’s reputation as the perfect
spot for a weekend away. It’s centrally located on
Lydiard Street and opposite the railway station – the
height of convenience should you be rolling in from
Melbourne by train.
I’m a sucker for a heritage building and this one,
built in 1909 and listed by the National Trust for
its expressive Art Nouveau facade, had me at its
domed turrets. But a new story has been written
inside by owners Simon and Gorgi Coghlan and
business partner Drew Harry. They’ve created a
stylish and serene space that, in true Ballarat style,
takes design cues from contemporary trends while
staying sympathetic to the building’s old bones. A
blue-and-ivory colour palette is employed throughout
its common spaces and most guest rooms, built up
in layers of subtly contrasting patterns; each area
we move through presents its own lovely vignette.
Reaching the first floor landing en route to our suiteAUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COMAll AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP
LEFT: The
Provincial Hotel’s
impressive facade;
Eclectic vignettes;
Juxtapositions of
pattern; A dish of
wild rabbit raviolo
at Lola; A palette of
blue and ivory runs
S triking g old throughout the hotel.WEEKENDS | Reviews
Does BALLARAT’S newest
BOUTIQUE hotel measure up
to the city’s buzzing ARTS and
DINING scene? IMOGEN
EVESON checks in to find out.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BIANCA SLADE @WHOLEFOODSIMPLY (LOLA); MARCEL AUCAR (ALL REMAINING)