Whether Australia should become a republic or not, there’s still something to be said for the Royal family and their many palace digs. We rarely get glimpses of what happens behind those royal walls, so because of that, the royals’ homes are mysterious and fascinating.
Here in Australia, we can get a taste of these palaces in the form of castles you can stay at. Also, if you’re wondering — the difference between a palace and a castle is that a palace isn’t fortified. Ahead are some of Australia’s best castle and palace accommodations, so you too can feel like a royal.
Kryal Castle, Leigh Creek, Victoria
Kryal Castle lies 1.5 hours from Melbourne. You can visit it on a day pass or stay overnight in one of its 22 suites. Booking gives you after-hours access to the castle’s grounds so you can visit Braveheart’s Playground, The Forbidden Stone Maze and animal pens without any crowds. The property also has a Tudor Village where you can stay in a tiny house or cabin.
Thorngrove Manor Hotel, Stirling, South Australia
A 30-minute drive from Adelaide CBD, Thorngrove Manor Hotel is a luxury retreat with just five rooms and a restaurant across four floors. Rooms include the Tower Loft, Castle Chambers and Observatory Suite. The King’s Chambers has French clocks made around 1820, a private dining area with an antique oak trestle table and a bay window overlooking the property’s hedged garden and ancient elm trees.
King Plains Castle, Wellingrove, New South Wales
William Vivers, an immigrant from Dumfries, Scotland, was the first resident of the Kings Plains property in 1832. In 1908, his great-nephew George Vivers began construction on what would become the castle it is today, with 28 rooms, three levels and a tower. Today, the grand home, an eight-hour drive north of Sydney, has been refurbished and has 11 guest rooms. All room rates come with breakfast.
Bli Bli House Riverside Retreat, Diddillibah, Queensland
Located in the heart of the Sunshine Coast, Bli Bli House Riverside Retreat is an example of exquisite Victorian-time luxury. The boutique hotel overlooks its neighbourhood river, transporting guests to that era. The hotel has just six suites, each with fireplaces, four-poster, hand-carved beds and unique décor.
Bishops Palace, Lake Wendouree, Victoria
An hour and 45-minute drive from Melbourne, in Ballarat, Bishops Palace has just six suites. This means guests have most of its 1.6 hectares of heritage-listed, manicured gardens and 19th-century gothic architecture building to themselves. Apart from the six rooms across two storeys, the palace also has a grand staircase, halls with towering ceilings and gold-stencilled paintwork decorating its walls.
The Rift Estate, Bowral, New South Wales
The Rift Estate is a grand Victorian Italianate mansion on historic gardens located in the NSW’s Southern Highlands town of Bowral, a 90-minute drive from Sydney. It was originally a “gentlemen’s residence” constructed in the 19th century. Rooms here have claw foot tubs, cosy fireplaces and, handy in the winter, underfloor heating.
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