Views of rolling vineyards, farms home to friendly animals, or luxurious spa resorts are all on the cards when choosing where to stay in the Swan Valley.
When dreaming of your ideal getaway, sometimes all you want is an easy escape, requiring minimal effort where you can simply relax and recharge in a soothing environment. Just 30 minutes from Perth, the Swan Valley beckons visitors to bask in its blissful serenity, with convenient accommodation options that are easy and indulgent.
Select your ideal Swan Valley retreat from among some of our favourite sanctuaries, with everything from hibernation-ready cottages to peaceful winery stays, decorated with vineyards visible from the doorstep.
Acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land and reflecting its commitment and connection to Country, Mandoon Estate has changed the name of its picturesque on-site accommodation to ‘Maya Maya’ — meaning 'camp' in the language of the local Whadjuk Noongar people. To commemorate the rename, local artist Samaja Miller, a young Aboriginal woman from the Minang and Kaneang communities, was commissioned to create its new hotel logo, representing ‘the camp, the soil, and the Swan River’.
Maya Maya at Mandoon Estate is nestled perfectly between the Swan River and estate vines for an idyllic Swan Valley stay. The boutique development offers 32 studio-style rooms, with light, contemporary fitouts that flow out into private patios or balconies. Some rooms have views over the 127-year-old Verdelho vines, while others look out over manicured lawns stretching down to the river. This peaceful escape is situated within a natural bush setting, yet remains only 200 metres from Mandoon’s cellar door, Homestead Brewery, fine dining restaurant Wild Swan, and Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery.
The Swan Valley Retreat is a serene day spa, offering three exclusive rooms for the ultimate escapism. Their most luxurious option, the ‘Wine Barrel’, is a cylindrical building of warm timber panelling, with a private sauna and a hot tub on the deck. The ‘Cabernet’ and ‘Merlot’ rooms also include a private spa bath outside; however, they share a spacious separate sauna. All of the accommodation decking overlooks peaceful farmland, where sheep and alpacas roam near an picturesque dam.
A retreat should be a reprieve for the mind, body, and soul. Staying at the Swan Valley Retreat relaxes your body with various spa treatments, calms your mind with quiet seclusion from the world, and soothes your soul by giving you permission to engage in truly restful activities. In winter, spa manager Rosie Hill says guests can take a glass of wine and sit on the veranda or in the hot tub, just watching the rain hit the dam. “It’s quite mesmerising,” she says.
According to co-owner Laura Pearse, Upper Reach Winery is one of the few places in Western Australia where you can stay in the original worker’s cottage in the middle of a working vineyard. The early-1900s cottage, situated amongst the vines, is where Laura and her husband Derek lived when they bought the winery in 1996, just two young wine-lovers with a vision. Today, the successful winery also has a cellar door and a high-end restaurant.
Upper Reach Cottage is the only house on the property, so after 5pm guests have the place to themselves. “You can sit on the deck and see the sun setting over the vineyard and the high bank of the Swan River, it’s stunning,” says Laura.
The self-contained cottage is a cosy hideaway with a log-burning pot belly stove and timber floorboards throughout, a place where you can watch the movements of the winery around you. However, for a more active day, wine tastings are just 150 metres away. Winery tours can be arranged and three other wineries are also within walking distance.
Everyone has their ideal vision when hearing the word ‘retreat’. While some may picture a cabin in the forest, others won't settle for anything less than a resort complex that takes them away from reality — a place with endless experiences to satisfy their active appetite. The Vines Resort is sprawled over 270 acres, featuring an extensive golf course, luxury spa, fully stocked gym, squash and tennis courts, swimming pool, and several cafés and restaurants.
It’s an incredibly dreamlike location where kangaroos and ducks, and the odd emu opt to spend their time. The accommodation has 103 rooms in a two-storey complex surrounding a central vineyard. Each room has a courtyard or balcony, with ground-floor rooms ‘almost guaranteed’ to feature a kangaroo on their doorstep in the morning. Restful spaces are incorporated into the resort, like the ‘koi moat’, which runs along the front and can be crossed via small bridges, and the outdoor bar that sparkles with fairy lights in the evening.
At Willow Cottage, guests can escape to a tranquil hideaway that still has the attractions of the Swan Valley just down the road. The private two-bedroom cottage is designed for hibernation, with a fully equipped kitchen, cute home office, and plenty of cosy spots for curling up. As co-owner Amanda Johnson says, “I’ve had people stay for three days and not actually leave the cottage, they just sit outside and read.”
The charming interior is inspired by Johnson’s English background, she explains. “We’ve tried to give it a real cottage feel. It’s very English to have wallpaper — gives it that more old-fashioned look.”
The outdoor spaces are also carefully curated, with a spacious backyard bordered by lush ivy-covered fences, featuring a timber deck and a pergola strung with festoon lighting. Guests can follow the vibe of the day, with several outdoor seating choices, including a wine barrel table, a comfy couch area, and a stone table beneath a quirky chandelier. There’s also a barbeque, plus pull-down blinds and a basket of blankets for all-weather use.
Farmstays are some of the most fulfilling accommodation finds — places where you can take the whole family, yet still fully decompress from daily life. Settlers Rest Farmstay accommodates up to six guests in a classic weatherboard farmhouse from the early 1900s. It is located in a little pocket of the Swan Valley, just off West Swan Road.
The beautifully restored farmhouse is rustic and homely and the owners intentionally don’t offer WiFi, encouraging guests to ‘disconnect and reconnect’.
Settlers Rest Farmstay is a place to slow down and experience traditional farm life, with guests exploring the property at their own pace. As co-owner Corinne Reside says, “You can do as much or as little as you want."
Begin the day by collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, and in the warmer months follow this up with swimming in the river or fishing from the licensed private jetty. As a ‘farmstay’, the property wouldn’t be complete without animals for the children to interact with, so there are also sheep, two goats, a friendly cow, and sleek show horses housed in nearby stables.
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