Morpeth, NSW – 30 minutes from the hunter Valley wineries – is a bit country village with a big-town history. opposite the very first ever Arnott’s bakery, the Bronte shop hotel welcomes travellers as well as roadtrippers to the comfort of its homely manor home – a house that has seen the improvement of colony as well as autumn of empires.
Tucked away behind the trees of Morpeth’s leafy primary street is the discreet yet stately door as well as frontage of the Bronte shop Hotel. developed early on in the Victorian age as well as close sufficient to the hunter River to see its banks from its balcony, the hotel would have seen lots of modifications to Morpeth as well as to Australia over the years.
Check out our quick video walkthrough of The Bronte shop hotel as well as Morpeth here:
Click right here to enjoy the motion picture on YouTube.
Once the primary inland port town for supplies to the colony, Morpeth grew swiftly in the early to mid 1800s. Now, this town – 15 minutes from Maitland as well as its amazing food scene, as well as 30 minutes to Cessnock as well as the hunter Valley – is in the best area for a country getaway.
But place alone isn’t what makes Morpeth’s Bronte shop hotel special.
There’s something about staying in a well-styled historic building that not only feels comfortable as well as somewhat luxurious, however it likewise provides you the sense that you’re now part of the building’s history.
Bronte shop Hotel, Morpeth
It takes a bit while to get utilized to the combination of décor in the Bronte shop Hotel. In an east-west collision of two old empires, this otherwise thoroughly Victorian home has touches of antique Japanese art as well as objects punctuating the walls as well as sideboards.
Oddly, rather than clashing, the two unique styles add a sense of secret as well as romance.
Ink-on-paper paintings of Japanese warriors as well as wisemen hang on walls above elaborate gold-leafed formal chairs.
Bedheads are of embroidered silk with Japanese styles as well as colours, as well as Oriental ceramicware stands next to carriage clocks near the original wooden staircase, carpet rods as well as all.
It’s an eclectic combination, however one that seems to work. maybe it’s since comes from owner Clint Marquet’s like of Japan. He has spent much of his life there considering that he was a teenager as well as has utilized things from his own personal collection to embellish the Bronte.
The rooms
At the moment, there are five spaces at the Bronte shop Hotel. Each of them is beautifully appointed with big, comfortable beds, decorative, Victorian-style furniture as well as spacious bathrooms.
Comfort as well as sophistication have clearly been the crucial aspects in creating these rooms, as well as the details you discover right here tell you that you’re in a top notch hotel that cares for its guests. complimentary water as well as snacks, TV, electric blankets, reverse cycle aircon, lots of powerpoints with USBs, Appelles shower room products as well as fluffy robes all include the room.
Rooms do not have fridges or safes however.
Each of the spaces is named after eminent characters as well as home names who either made Morpeth excellent or started excellent things there. The Arnott Suite is a nod to William Arnott, who started as the town baker as well as went on to create Arnott’s Biscuits. His bakery is still in the Arnott household as well as still makes sourdough across the street.
The spirit Suite has the name of the guy who developed as well as resided in this house, as well as who went on to type the spirit Paterson Pharmacy empire. He likewise apparently made the strongest rum in the colony!
Our room
Ours was space 3 – the close Suite as well as ironically the largest of the rooms. It’s named after Lieutenant Edward Close, who was awarded the land in 1821 for his services. He well established the personal township that went on to be Morpeth.
The close Suite is big. It has two big windows in the primary room, an elaborate breast of drawers, an antique desk as well as chair, a table/TV stand as well as two a lot more chairs, as well as even a cloakroom. as well as a significant bed of course.
The generous shower room not only has a lovely deep-soak bath, however likewise a double rain shower. The gleaming white tiles, lofted ceiling as well as big mullioned sash window makes this a incredibly light bathroom.
Our only booking with the shower room – as well as the whole space truly – is that there’s no door to the bathroom.
As we’re a ‘closed-door’ type of couple, it made utilizing the personal amenities a bit uncomfortable as well as seems a odd detail to miss out on when whatever else is so well catered to. just so you know, we did inspect the other spaces as well as they all had shower room doors.
The breakfast
Down the corridor on the very first floor, breakfast is taken on the balcony overlookingthe town. The aircon system makes this an all-weather venue. It’s charming to be able to look out over the primary street while you’re enjoying brekky.
There’s a Nespresso machine, which is at your disposal throughout the day, however which truly comes into its own now. While you’re waiting on your cooked breakfast, you can assist yourself to the tasty home-made granola, fruit & yoghurt.
Don’t eat as well much of that though, since the crisp regional bacon, deliciously wonderful grilled infant roma tomatoes, spinach, English muffins or sourdough (both locally baked) as well as your option of eggs are absolutely splendid.
Plans for the future
Kerry, the woman who runs the Bronte as well as does such a terrific breakfast, tells us that they’re checking out turning the formal dining space downstairs into an independent restaurant soon.
This will fill a space the town seems to be suffering from a bit: there aren’t lots of night-time dining choices in Morpeth, though Maitland has some exceptional dinner venues like The Rigby.
Also, plans to broaden across the hotel’s bit carpark will prolong the number of spaces as well as make Morpeth even a lot more of a target for visitors to this beautiful, interesting part of new South Wales.
The Bronte shop Hotel
145-147 Swan Street
Morpeth NSW
thebronte.com.au
huntervalleyescapes.com.au
As unforeseen as all the other surprises the Maitland area of the lower Hunter, Morpeth as well as the Bronte shop hotel promises an unforgettable stay in what when was one of the most crucial towns in the country.
We stayed at the Bronte shop hotel as guests of Destination new South Wales.