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#11 of 14 hotels in Pokolbin
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Escape to the famous Wine Country and enjoy luxury boutique hotel accommodation at The Convent Hunter Valley. Just 2.5 hours drive from Sydney CBD, The Convent is nestled within one of Australia’s premiere wine regions - Polkobin. Our unique location offers expansive acreage views of the glamorous boutique hotel - The Convent, Pepper Tree Winery and Circa 1876. All venues are located on the estate and surrounded by rich, produce filled kitchen gardens, creating a tranquil culinary treat pleasing to lovers of both food and wine. Whether you are planning a romantic getaway, a weekend with the girls or your mates, or a fun-filled family holiday, our intimate and boutique Hunter Valley hotel offers something for everyone. Unwind and enjoy renowned local wines at Pepper Tree Winery and share the passion for organic produce and farm to fork dining at our hatted restaurant at Circa 1876. Explore the Hunter Valleys with the whole family and sample the region’s many attractions. With an onsite function room, a spectacular backdrop and a relaxing atmosphere, The Convent is the ideal venue for weddings, corporate events and celebrations.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Historic Hotel
Boutique
Languages Spoken
English
Location
88 Halls Road, Pokolbin, Cessnock, New South Wales 2320 Australia
The Convent Hunter Valley Hotel
345 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
From the UK, vsisiting Sydney - took a trip out to the Hunter Valley for 2 nights. The loaction and setting is beautiful and it is very peaceful. A great location for exploring the Hunter Valley. The room was tired, especially the bathroom, which badly needed refurbishing. We are used to more imaculate, higher spec fittings. It was very hot when we stayed - the AC was noisy but just about coped. Reception staff were friendly and attentive. Breakfast was good. The nearby but separate restaurant is good for dinner.
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Date of stay: December 2019
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Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from TheConventM, Duty Manager at The Convent Hunter Valley Hotel
Responded Jan 18, 2020
Hello Trek574855, Warm Greetings from Convent Hunter Valley Hotel! We appreciate the time you have taken to provide us your experience regarding your recent stay with us. We have noted your feedback about the room and bathroom condition and it was shared to all relevant departments. We are looking forward to welcoming you back in the near future. Best regards, The Convent Hunter Valley Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We spent three nights in this delightful hotel hidden away down a tree lined lane in a lush garden with a winery and hatted restaurant. An impressive Australian country home has been transported from Coonamble to the Hunter...the old convent has been transformed with elegant and comfortable lounge chairs, French provincial features in the interior, very comfortable rooms with French doors leading to wide verandas. The en-suites are roomy and well designed. Breakfast was served in the verandah restaurant with views across the garden. Pergolas connect various gardens and the pool, the impressive drive leads to a fountain and beautiful oaks. The service was exceptional, we arrived late but the receptionist ordered us room service from the Circa 1876 in addition to the delightful macrons and fruit platter, recognition of my birthday. She served the courses in sequence as we needed them. Amazing service. The entire stay was flawless, even the thunderstorm didn’t dampen the occasion..
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Date of stay: November 2020
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Cleanliness
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Room Tip:Ground floor verandah
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel is nice and the staff very attentive and helpful. It is also a great location, near Pepper Tree Wines and many other great vineyards. We were really disappointed we couldn’t get in the restaurant Circa 1876 for dinner despite having a room at the hotel. The sitting was at 6:30pm - we had to put our daughter to bed and couldn’t arrive before 6:45 and we’ve been advised that the restaurant would not hold our table for 15 minutes - we ended up skipping dinner.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely disgusting customer service. I booked a room here recently and had to cancel due to a sudden death in the family. I cancelled 6 full days before our booking and my request was declined due to a "7 day non cancellation policy" and they had already taken the money from my credit card. I explained there had been a death in the family and we would be attending the funeral and wake and would they consider allowing us to change the dates we stayed. I was told they would allow it in this instance but there would be a $150 admin fee on top of the $445 room charge. They actually told me they were doing me a favour. You're kidding. The lack of empathy and arrogant attitude makes me wonder why anyone would want to support such a business. Be very very careful booking a room here. I never will again.....
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Date of stay: February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We ran away from home for a few days to relax and had got to do just that at The Convent. Our room was a deluxe which is small but suited our needs- balcony with comfy chairs off the room makes it seem bigger and grounds are beautiful to wander through to enjoy the peaceful surrounds. Breakfast was great and staff should be complemented on their friendliness and committment to providing excellent service. Down side which is out of the hands of the staff are noisy neighbours returning home at 1.30 in the morning and in an old building loud voices and slamming toilet seats- Noise travels! As we know, money doesnt buy class or consideration. Would not like to share a balcony with guests like this which is always a risk in shared balcony spaces. It didnt rain on our parade however - we will stick with the brand and check out Lilianfels next mini break.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When looking at the accommodation choices online, we couldn’t decide between Spicer’s Vineyard Estate and The Convent. In the end we decided to book one night in each to experience both properties and their respective restaurants. If you too are trying to decide between the two, then don’t hesitate and pick up the phone to Spicer’s, as it wins hands down.
The positives for The Convent are stunning grounds and a beautiful old building, both of which are highly photogenic. Walking into the building made me feel like I was entering an old Agatha Christie movie.
As impressive as the aesthetics were, it was clear that both hotel and restaurant staff were not very well trained. Check-in at the hotel involves walking into an empty reception with nobody on reception desk. There is a helpful sign telling you to call a number but that isn’t the sort of welcome I would expect for the price I paid. every time I went to reception, I had the same experience.
The same staffing issues could be seen in the restaurant. Online Circa looks to be the best restaurant in the Hunter Valley and I can only assume something drastic changed since all the awards picked up in 2019. The food was nothing special and the service poor. We asked for advice on the wines, and it was clear our waiter had no knowledge of the wine list. We asked for recommendation on the menu and the best we got was “ladies usually order the scallops”. We were seated by the kitchen, so I had the pleasure of watching dirty glasses and bottles being stacked up on the bar, with nobody willing to clean down throughout our meal. I ordered a bottle of wine and poured most of the bottle myself and finally had to watch one of the staff constantly coming out of the kitchen chewing a mouth full of food.
My final issue with The Convent in their internet. Broadband has been around a while now and its fast and cheap to access on most places, just not at The Convent. The free internet provided is slow and limited to 5GB as they want to charge guests $15 a day for accessing normal broadband speeds.
Now these are first world problems I agree and if it was just one or two incidents it wouldn’t matter. But so many little things gave us a lasting impression of The Convent as having poor service and an untrained team.
While not as aesthetically pleasing as The Convent, Spicer’s is still a beautiful property and having an open fireplace in your room is never a bad thing. The style is more modern, with the room being large and comfortable. The check-in and check-out were both friendly and efficient, with nice touches like giving guests free flower seeds to plant at home.
The real difference is Botanica, which is a beautiful intermate restaurant. We had a warm welcome from the team and our waitress was amazing. She was only 19 years old but was engaging and had a great knowledge of the wine list and the food on the menu. The wine she recommended was perfect, the dishes she recommended were amazing. Between the restaurant, the service and the food, my wife and I had a memory we will keep for the rest of our lives.
So there you have it folks, two hotels, same sort of price point, but only one winner.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
$60 per person - you get premade basic sandwiches and store bought cakes and sweets from coles.
Absolutely ruin our occassion and get away.
Tried to give constructive feedback to the waitress.. wouldnt hear of it and didnt want to listen
All i can say is - no wonder we were the only customers there on a sunday lunchtime
Very disapponted and never felt so ripped off
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First time at The Convent. If you want garish flash-Harry, this is not for you. If you want tradition, authenticity and good old fashioned customer care, support and service, with history you can taste, this is for you. Immaculately presented like a refined lady. All staff operate at a very high standard. Nothing is too much trouble, thank you Vicki. Some restaurant restrictions at the moment, but breakfast is quality, and the small selection is well thought-out. Ensure you visit Circa 1876 restaurant (must book) and Pepper Tree wines, both on site. Both offer outstanding quality and convenience. Overall, a rare, quality peak back at history, Chandeliers mandatory of course.
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Date of stay: August 2020
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Room Tip:As you look at the building from the fountain, rooms to the right offer more opportunity for...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in the Convent for our 30th Wedding Anniversary Sam on the reception desk doubles as the waiter for breakfast. Vicki gave us glasses of champagne to celebrate by the fire. My great grandfather designed The Convent when it was owned by the Brigidine Nuns in Coonamble. The hotel has recently been purchased by Spicers Guesthouse and there are plans to upgrade the dated bathrooms and carry out long over due maintenance on the building.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at The Convent Hunter Valley Hotel
Responded Jul 2, 2024
Hi coasttraveller, thank you for sharing your wonderful experience at The Convent for your 30th Wedding Anniversary! We're thrilled to hear that Sam and Vicki made your stay extra special. We appreciate your feedback on the upgrades planned by Spicers Guesthouse and look forward to welcoming you back soon.
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The Convent is in a beautiful location and a beautiful building, coming up the drive as the house was revealed was magical. It was also the first time we saw kangaroos, so super exciting. Great service and warm welcome. Room a little small and a little tatty around the edges, but comfortable. Really enjoyed sitting on the veranda in the evening reading, very peaceful. The Hunter Valley is spread out and restaurants tend to serve set three course dinners, of which the nearby / attached restaurant (Circa 1884) is one of them. So, if you want a quite, small, informal dinner then you will need to drive and at this time of year make reservations, also no room service either - be prepared and pre-plan. Great breakfast, beautifully served in a lovely setting. Did have a small swimming pool and a tennis court, but didn’t use either.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Pokolbin area.
PRICE RANGE
C$197 - C$328 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
peppers convent, hunter valley hotel pokolbin, peppers convent hunter valley pokolbin
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Peppers Convent, Hunter Valley
LOCATION
AustraliaNew South WalesGreater NewcastleCessnockPokolbin
NUMBER OF ROOMS
19
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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