Ticking off an incredible Australian bucket list item, Mandi from the Viva team was lucky to have been able to visit the gorgeous Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley.
As part of a Tourism Australia initiative, Mandi went on a fact -finding (read: eating and drinking) mission to find out more about what is available within Australia.
One&Only Wolgan Valley is a luxury resort, a safe and secluded haven, nestled in the in the World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains. Just a short helicopter ride, or a scenic three-hour drive from Sydney, it is located on Australia’s Great Dividing Range between the Wollemi National Park and the Gardens of Stone National Park.
Yes it is all inclusive, but it was the absolute attention to detail that amazed Mandi. Not ostentatious – in fact very understated, the class is in the service, the food, the surroundings and the villas! Oh the villas!!
Each of them is a free-standing, exclusive villa with a spacious living area, with comfy sofas, a cosy 2-way fireplace (to the bedroom), a four poster bed, a wardrobe closet bigger than some bedrooms, and a beautiful bathroom with a glass ceilinged shower, making you think you are outside. There is also a private pool and big veranda perfect for sitting at the end of the day and taking in all the atmospheric surroundings of the valleys and Blue Mountains.
The main area houses the bar and restaurants and a private dining area. Often we bandy about the notion of service, and whilst that can be subjective, often it is the smallest things that mean the most. At One&Only you would expect a resort of that calibre to have high quality foood but for Mandi it came about in an unexpected way. Mandi is a fussy eater, and allergic to some foods, in particular, coconut. At every meal, the staff were already knowledgeable about the dietary requests of all the members of the group, however they went on a drive around the property – which was really interesting too – they stopped at a deck for Sundowners (clearly hadn’t eaten or drunk enough by then!), and to one side were some coconut-free cookies just for Mandi. Sometimes it is the small things!
What is there to do? The spa is pretty amazing as well. A place to practice mindfulness with daily yoga sessions, or experience beauty treatments amongst the amazing surroundings. You can reconnect with nature, swim in your own private pool, hone your mountain-bike riding, archery and tennis skills or just chill out and relax, maybe with a glass of their in-house made Gin!
So who is One&Only for? Definitely for discerning clients, wanting to get away from everything, get back to nature, wanting good food, luxury and service but in a very relaxed fashion.
Want to stay at this luxurious resort? Contact us to find out more.
