This historic, stately inn is a surprisingly cosy beachside getaway
The Inn
Old Market Inn, Port Fairy
Port Fairy’s heritage-listed Old Market Inn.
Check-in
Sailing along Victoria’s treacherous and shipwreck studded coastline in 1852, William and Emma Osmond had a very different view of the cliffs and bluffs than today’s comfortable Great Ocean Road day-tripping motorists. After an arduous sail from Bristol to Port Fairy, with a toddler and infant in tow, the young migrant couple would go on to build a hospitality empire together, including a bluestone hotel that would become Port Fairy’s heritage-listed Old Market Inn. While it isn’t in the original family’s hands any more, the five-room hotel is no less inviting when I pull up on the grass lawn near dusk, after a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Melbourne. The front door is unlocked so I only need to walk in.
The look
Each room has been refurbished with period furnishings and luxurious finishes.
The white-painted Georgian hotel makes a stately impression from the street. Inside, a Turkish stair runner entices me upwards to the Norfolk Suite. New owners Steve and Kym Piez have taken great care to refurbish the building room by room, investing in period furnishings and luxurious finishes, from thick-piled carpets to textured throws and a queen bed piled high with thick, downy pillows. The dominating monochromatic interior is relieved by coastal splashes and artwork that evokes sea fog on a winter’s day.
The room
Rooms at Port Fairy’s Old Market Inn come with complimentary Netflix and Stan.
My luxury suite lives up to its name and is essentially a self-contained apartment. The kitchen is well-stocked and one of the most practical I’ve seen in a hotel, featuring a small fridge, gas stove, basin and coffee machine so you can choose to stay in and cook or dine out. A wall-mounted TV in the bedroom comes with complimentary Netflix and Stan subscriptions, and you can connect your phone to a Sonos sound bar. Bibliophiles will appreciate the cosy spaces, like the bench lounge in the kitchen and comfy armchairs, where you can lose yourself in a good book or magazine. There are many scattered throughout the suite if you forgot to bring your own. A generous breakfast hamper is available on request for $55.
Food + Drink
Check ahead of time to see if the weekend Farmers’ Market will be on and collect provisions to enjoy back at the suite. If you’d prefer to eat out, scoot over to Bank St & Co. for coffee and brunch or save your appetite for high tea at Time & Tide Tearooms. Come evening, tuck into thin-crust pizzas and craft beers inside a former undertaker’s building at Coffin Sally, sample the local seafood at Blake’s, or enjoy a tipple by the fire at The Sentinel.
Out + about
Port Fairy from the air.Credit: iStock
Located in the historic part of Port Fairy, most things are within easy walking distance of the hotel. Indulge with a massage at Port Fairy Day Spa or inspect the art exhibition at Blarney Books and Art, housed inside the old Masonic Hall. Fitness buffs can cycle the Rail Trail to Warrnambool or hike out to Griffiths Island Lighthouse. Port Fairy’s location means keen anglers can try river and surf fishing for mullet, or go to sea aboard Salty Dog Charters.
The essentials
Rooms from $390 a night. Old Market Inn, 51 William St, Port Fairy, Victoria. Phone +61 493 673 116. See oldmarketinn.com.au
The verdict
A stately, well-located coastal escape outfitted with thoughtful amenities so you can stay out during summer or cosy up inside during winter.
Our rating out of five stars
★★★★
Highlight
Being cocooned in plush bathrobes and big blankets while it’s blowing a gale outside.
Lowlight
Arriving at the hotel to find a key in my door is a nice gesture but not very secure.
The writer travelled as a guest of Visit Great Ocean Road.
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