Astra Lodge: Victoria's dream ski stay

When a place wins an international award before it's even open, you know something pretty special is afoot.

Astra Lodge, at Victoria's Falls Creek ski-fields, had a few rooms available in 2016 and, before officially swinging its glamorous doors open for the beginning of the 2017 Victorian ski season, it snared the title of Australia's Best Boutique Ski Lodge 2016 at the World Ski Awards in Kitzbuhel, Austria.

The Grant Amon Architects' design has a signature of simple quality and style combined with eco-friendly construction and systems.

But beyond the beautiful interiors, plum position on the mountain and conscience-soothing principles, Astra Lodge offers some stellar services.

Its Italian fine dining restaurant and premium wine cellar are headed up by hatted chef Emma Handley, who oversees both this kitchen and that of another Falls Creek property, Huski Apartments, which has the same owners. At Astra, she's using locally sourced and seasonal produce and making pasta in-house daily, a perfect carb fix post all that exercise.

Astra Lodge also offers the services of world-renowned Skimetric director Adalbert Leibetseder, who coaches world-champion skiers in Austria in the northern winter and now calls the lodge his southern hemisphere winter home.

And when the day is done, a high-tech boot drying room takes care of your equipment, while massages, physiotherapy treatments and wet and dry saunas at the Astra day spa take care of the internal.