Eagle View Escape, Lake Lyell, NSW

Where Is It: West of the Blue Mountains, near Lithgow, NSW.

Why Go: It’s ideal for a romantic getaway in luxury accommodation.

Best For: Couples looking to get away from it all.

Three Things We Loved: The location, the spa, the hampers.

The Ultimate Factor: The generous, oh-so indulgent sunken spa bath.

Overview:

For Sydneysiders, when it comes to choosing a luxury hotel for a romantic getaway, we’re somewhat spoiled for choice. Just head north or south along the coast, or go west from the CBD, and there is plenty to choose from. What makes Eagle View Escape a bit special, however, is not just a prime location conveniently west of the Blue Mountains high up on a bluff. It’s also a fully self-contained resort for adults, with everything a couple with an eye for luxury and romance could wish for, and where you don’t have to mingle with anyone else should you choose not to.

When we first visited for a birthday celebration more than a decade ago, Eagle View Escape was then a small property, essentially a building with a collection of 12 spa suites carved into the side of a slope overlooking Lake Lyell. Each suite was ultra-private, with the benefits of a generous two-person spa and gorgeous lake and countryside views. Fast forward to 2015, however, and Eagle View Escape has been expanded to offer a wider choice of accommodations including spa cabins dotted in the surrounding countryside, with the allure of being even more alone with your significant other. There are also facilities taking care of all your needs; it’s not a case of not wanting to leave, you don’t have to.

Check out our Ultimate Romantic Getaway #6 to Lithgow.

The Accommodation:

The main building has 12 Executive Spa Suites which enjoy views of Cox’s River and the surrounding valley, and they come equipped with a queen sized bed, a balcony, and a sunken spa bath with a view. The decor is contemporary modern with lovely touches such as painted murals, a red leather sofa, polished wooden floors, and plenty of soft mood lighting. New to the main building at the far end is a large open-plan Penthouse Suite, offering the ultimate in contemporary luxury. Features include a king sized bed, a double shower, a free standing circular spa bath, a fully self-contained kitchenette, a gas log fire heater, a private courtyard with views and a barbecue, and a lavish decor featuring dark leather.

Since we visited, a number of cabins have also been added to the lineup, including Wilderness Spa Cabins (see below) and Rendezvous Spa Cabins which are nestled among the trees offering the ultimate in quiet and privacy. Here the style is unashamedly rustic, the cabins constructed of recycled Oregon and corrugated iron, with plenty of rich wood, and modern touches including a leather two person sofa and splashes of colour in the red cushions and bed throws. These accommodations also feature generous sunken spa baths, ideal for a romantic wallow, gas log fire heaters for cold weather snuggling, and kitchenettes. All the accommodations have mod-cons such as iPod docking stations, bathrobes and slippers, flat screen TVs, and bathroom toiletries.

Where We Stayed:

We had the option of the Penthouse Suite and a Wilderness Spa Cabin for our stay, and while it was difficult to choose between them, for Sydneysiders who live in a contemporary apartment by the beach, and wanted to keep to ourselves to ourselves, the spa cabin was just too hard to pass up. There are four of them, dotted on the slopes nestling in bushland. Each one has a lovely open plan interior, and a large private deck looking towards Lake Lyell, and they’re built with recycled Oregon and corrugated iron. They enjoy a rustic decor featuring plenty of wood, and colourful accents including a chocolate brown throw on the bed, and chocolate brown and lime cushions.

Our cabin had a kitchenette with a bar fridge, a microwave, tea and coffee making facilities, and equipment suitable for some basic cooking or for enjoying the food hampers (see below). There was also a comfortable queen sized bed with crisp white linens and panoramic views, a bathroom with a vanity and a large walk in shower room surrounded by corrugated iron walls, a nicely tucked away toilet for privacy, and a small sitting area comprising two leather easy chairs next to the gas log fire heater. Pride of place, however, was the deep, five-sided sunken spa next to the floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views.

What Else Is There:

Eagle View Escape has leisure facilities including a tennis court and an alfresco dining and hydrotherapy area with a view, including a hot tub, where you can enjoy a barbecue, a picnic, enjoy a soak, or soak up some of the sun’s rays in the warmer months. There is also a guest lounge in the main building with complimentary tea and coffee, a billiard table, and a large, flat screen TV with Austar. You can also enjoy walks on the property down to the lake, with the strong chance of spotting kangaroos and wombats as well as bird life.

When it comes to culinary matters, in-room dining is available on Friday and Saturday nights featuring a two course menu which changes regularly, and is served between 6pm and 7pm. Outside of these weekend nights, you can make life easy for yourself by buying a range of hampers to enjoy in the privacy of your accommodation, including self-cook breakfast and dinner hampers, and indulgent cheese and wine platters. Go a step further and add one of Eagle View Escapes special packages, which range from a Romance Package including handmade chocolates and sparking wine, to a Pamper Gift Bag featuring a range of indulgent body products.

The Verdict:

We loved Eagle View Escape the first time we visited, and with the additional accommodation lineup, coupled with convenient dining and hamper options, it's a luxury boutique hotel which is now even more alluring. It’s quiet, scenic, remote enough for us city folk, and as you’ll quickly discover, there’s really no reason to leave.