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Craig’s Royal Hotel

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  • 10 Lydiard St South
     Ballarat, Australia 3353
    +613 5331 1377 Website
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LenR
LenR
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
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3
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Craig’s Royal Hotel

  • November 3, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by LenR from Townsville, Australia
Craig’s Royal Hotel

There are very few grand heritage hotels around but this is undoubtedly one of them. I am not in a position to know whether the hotels claim to be “the finest boutique heritage hotel in Australia” is accurate. What I do know is it is good and I enjoyed my stay here very much.

As one of the first grand hotels in the British colony of Victoria, Craig’s Royal Hotel was born from the wealth of the Australian Gold Rush Era. Established in 1853, Craig’s soon set the standards for unparalleled hospitality and service. Hosting poets, princes and prime ministers over its 150-year history, the hotel is a true icon of the Victorian period.

Now, after 3 years extensive restoration, the magnificent accommodation, dining, meeting and banquet facilities are re-establishing Craig’s as a place to be. Everyone I spoke to in Ballarat seemed to mention Craigs so it is clearly having an impact on the local community. Unfortunately, the dining facilities were not yet operating when I visited but I saw their development and they will be great.

The hotel foyer is magnificent. You enter a different era and experience its luxury. The sumptuously decorated Foyer Lounge, featuring rich velvet and studded leather sofas, is a great place to enjoy a French champagne or pre-dinner cocktail.

I was very happy with my room on the second floor. You take an old-style elevator or walk the grand staircase to reach it. The room had air-conditioning with individual climate control, luxurious bedding, a marble trimmed bathroom, cable TV & high-speed Internet connections, and L’Occitane toiletries. The bed was extremely comfortable and there was no noise intrusion.

There are a total of 41 rooms over three floors. There are also some specially themed rooms which include the Anglo-Japanese suite, and the Chinois Wedding Bed room.
The L’Orangerie Restaurant at Craig’s, in the oldest part of the hotel, will provide seating for 40 guests. According to the owner, it will serve regional and quality imported produce and will open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday from late 2007. I’m advised that a jacket and reservations will be required.

The other dining spot will be the Gallery Bistro. This will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in a spacious light filled glass roofed conservatory in the historic courtyard. It should be something special.

From journal Ballarat Eating and Sleeping

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