CHECKING IN: Astra Lodge | Falls Creek, AUSTRALIA
It all became real for me when I saw the black snow vehicle branded ‘Astra Lodge’ parked outside of the bus terminal. We had driven three hours from Melbourne to Mt Beauty, then hopped onto a coach for almost an hour to get up to Falls Creek. It was our first time ever as a family being in the snow. Proper snow. Sure, the other travel bunnie and I had seen snow together one year when we were in New York for Christmas, but that could’ve just been frost gathered overnight.
There’s something so incredibly exciting and almost therapeutic about walking on fresh snow and hearing the loud snow crunch underneath my feet. The ride from the bus terminal to Astra Lodge wasn’t far at all and the scenery made it very pleasant.
Located in the heart of the ski village, the Astra Lodge today is nothing like what it used to be. Plenty of money was spent on the refurbishment after the lodge was acquired by Rosy Seaton and Seumas Dawes. The exterior of the lodge reminded me of a beautiful European ski chalet; inside, the interior is très alpine-chic. We were greeted by Astra’s manager, Tom on arrival, who then showed us around the property before escorting us to our room, a Deluxe Room with a French balcony offering panoramic views to the summit. The ski trip to Falls Creek was a spontaneous idea, so we were actually pretty lucky to score any room at all during the peak season at Australia’s hottest ski lodge, which was awarded Australia’s Best Boutique Ski Lodge 2016 (and has to be a hot contender for 2017).
Astra Lodge provides the ski-in, ski-out experience and has a separate entrance dedicated for easy access to their ski & boot locker room (which mind you, looks nothing like the standard locker room at the gym). The locker numbers correspond to the room numbers and can be accessed by the water-proof wristband that opens the door to your room. It was a very convenient feature.
Our room was cosy and equipped with all the necessities. We found two blocks of chocolate laid on the big comfy bed ready for our tummies, which I thought was a nice gesture. Although the room was relatively small, I was surprised at how much storage space there was. Our bathroom was stocked up with Triumph & Disaster bath amenities as well as coconut oil makeup removers from CocoBetty which I LOVED! The scent was gorgeous and it effortlessly took off my makeup every night and felt so gentle on the skin. The minibar wasn’t exciting, save as for one bottle of milk in our bar fridge, there was nothing else, but that wasn’t a huge problem given that the hotel’s restaurant on the ground floor provides a great selection of food for après-ski to satisfy even the fussiest of cravings.
Speaking of the restaurant, daily breakfast at the restaurant was included in our accommodation package. There was buffet station where a nice selection of fruits, juices, pastries and cereals which were on display. In addition, we were also able to choose a hot dish from the breakfast menu together with our choice of coffee or tea. The food at the Astra Bar & Restaurant was solid and it’s an absolute must if you are visiting Falls Creek.
Albeit small, Astra Lodge is well set out and has plenty of facilities available. In addition to a spa and a reading area, the lodge also has a kids room available to staying guests and only accessible with the assigned wristband. The room is filled with books, bean bags, board games, toys as well as a PlayStation. Minibun George loved that room, so on the second day of our trip when it was pouring down rain all day, we spent quite a lot of time there. I also found the sizeable magnesium pool extremely blissful.
We went to Falls Creek almost purely for Astra Lodge and our first family trip to the snow was perfect and I think Astra Lodge played a big role in it. The experience has no doubt left us craving more snow action.
Bunnies’ Travel Notes
Bunnies’ Room Number: 304 – Deluxe Room
Bath products: Triumph & Disaster
Perks that we loved: complimentary pickup & drop off service in the hotel’s signature snow vehicle
Check-in/check-out times: 2pm - 11am
Time of stay: August 2017
What we paid: $1,866AUD for three nights
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