Hotel Vera Ballarat

29/06/2026

Some weekends deserve more intention. We've teamed up with Hidden Lanes - Ballarat & Victoria Tours to create a boutique 2-day Ballarat escape: a stay with us at Hotel Vera, a story-led walking tour through hidden laneways and historic spaces, our hyperlocal continental breakfast featuring Turret Cafe and Catering pastries, and a beautifully styled high tea picnic at the Botanical Gardens.

Designed for couples who want something meaningful without the planning. From $1,495 for two. Link to book below.

https://hiddenlanes.com/ballarat-weekend-getaway-hotel-vera

28/06/2026

This isn’t a trip. It’s a love letter to slow travel. One night at Hotel Vera. We’ve teamed up with Hidden Lanes - Ballarat & Victoria to create a boutique 2-day Ballarat escape: a stay with us at Hotel Vera, a story-led walking tour through hidden laneways and historic spaces, breakfast, and a beautifully styled high tea picnic at the Botanical Gardens.  

All the details handled, so you can just be present. Our new collaboration with Hidden Lanes starts from $1,495 for two. Created for couples who appreciate thoughtful travel, this 2-day escape brings together refined accommodation, immersive local experiences, and the simple pleasure of exploring at your own pace.

✨ Boutique accommodation at Hotel Vera
✨ Hidden Lanes walking tour
✨ Vintage High Tea Picnic by Lake Wendouree
✨ Hyper local continental breakfast with Turret Bakehouse pastries and curated local recommendations

Go to the Hidden Lanes website www.hiddenlanes.com to book

25/06/2026

🎉 WE HAVE WINNERS! 🎉

Huge congratulations to Celeste Robertson for winning our $250 voucher to use towards a stay at Hotel Vera or a dining experience at Babae!

And congratulations to Amelia Kingston, who has won a $100 Design Exchange shopping voucher.

🏆 Please check your DMs to claim your prize.

📩 A massive thank you to everyone who entered, liked, shared, and supported this giveaway. We have the best community!

Stay tuned for more exciting giveaways and collaborations in the future.

22/06/2026

150 trees in the ground. 🌿

We’re proud to share our latest planting with Fifteen Trees at Scotchmans Lead Reserve, Napoleons, on the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung People.

Hotel Ernest Bendigo and Hotel Vera Ballarat partnerned with Fifteen Trees to fund periodic group plantings across regional Victoria. This time, 150 eucalypts, acacias, banksias and hakeas now line Union Jack Creek, providing shade for fish and platypus, shelter from erosion, and habitat for a wildlife community that’s gone from six bird species in 2010 to more than forty today. Koalas, echidnas, rakali, and wallabies now call this reserve home.

Huge thanks to the Napoleons and Enfield Landcare Group for their years of work rehabilitating this riparian zone. As their President Jenny Ryle puts it: “The results are now speaking for themselves. Financial support is so useful to get things done well, and it also represents moral support, which is very motivating.”

True luxury, founded upon environmental integrity. That’s always been the vision for Hotel Ernest and Hotel Vera. A trackway now runs alongside the creek so visitors can walk through and see the restoration in progress.

🌱 400 trees planted to date across two regional plantings.



Visit Ballarat

https://15trees.com.au/tree-plantings/hotel_vera-hotel_ernest/

18/06/2026

"Today’s diggers face no such hardship since Ballarat has a lively hospitality scene – fuelled, I suspect, by a recent wave of craft-beer-loving Melbourne exiles. Two local eateries, Babae Ballarat and Underbar, were awarded single hats in the 2026 issue of The Age Good Food Guide, but we enjoy exploring Ballarat’s pub scene and settle on the Golden City Hotel, which is child-friendly and stumbling distance from our hotel."

Mark Chipperfield
The Age

There are far more glamorous destinations in Australia, but none quite offers the sheer variety, warmth and charm of this inland oasis.

14/06/2026

As another season gently draws to a close, we’re reminded that hospitality, like nature, moves in rhythms.

We pause to give thanks — to the land and its seasons that inspire every menu, every table, and every stay. To the farmers, growers, makers, artisans and producers whose care and craftsmanship allow us to share the very best of our region.

To our extraordinary team, whose warmth, dedication and generosity create the magic that guests experience every day. We are endlessly grateful for your passion.

And to our wonderful patrons — many of whom have become familiar faces and dear friends — thank you for choosing to spend your time with us. Your support, loyalty and trust allow us to continue doing what we love.

As the season changes, we look forward to welcoming new flavours, new stories and new moments of calm, surprise and connection.

With gratitude,
Hotel Vera & Babae

07/06/2026

THIS LUXURY STAY IN BALLARAT HOUSES IMPECCABLE AUSTRALIAN ART AND FINE DINING
Hotel Vera is the height of glamour in the Goldfields region.
When heritage is heighten by sophisticated design and delicate details that highlight the architectural allure, you know that pride is placed on a project.

This is exactly the case for Ballarat’s most design-forward, attractive accommodation, Hotel Vera.
An enterprise spearheaded by the dynamic business minds of Ballarat’s David Cook-Doulton and Martin Shew, Hotel Vera is a masterclass in modern interior design, considered and respectful restoration, sustainable living, and culture-centred craftsmanship.

The sanctuary stay sits in the heart of Ballarat’s CBD. Formerly a 19th century medical building, the now revived mansion has become a bespoke destination, thanks to it’s seven elevated, personalised suites, it’s award-winning fine dining restaurant, Babae, and its gallery-worthy curation of Australian art.

A permanent resident of the Hotel Vera family is fine dining setting Babae.

Babae, the latin words for “wow” lives up to its etymological origins. Showcasing the best regional Victoria has to offer through carefully sourced seasonal produce, Babae balances bold dishes with humble roots. The intimate fine dining restaurant seats only 26 guests, allowing attention to be paid to both the dish and the diners. Their menu focuses on Australian cuisine championed by, and championing, the growers and producers from around the region, including an abundance of freshly grown produce from the on-site garden. It’s a hand-in-glove working arrangement to design and deliver the most delicious dishes.

Hotel Vera & Babae
Where: 710 Sturt Street, Ballarat

19/05/2026

We can’t believe that is been 6 months since Christian Hull stayed with us.

02/05/2026

Ballarat in its creative era.

The inaugural Ballarat Craft and Design Week (1–10 May 2026) has arrived—centred in the heart of historic Ballarat and shining a light on the extraordinary work of artists, makers, and creative practitioners.

This first edition already feels significant. Not just a moment, but the beginning of something that will grow in scale, ambition, and influence. Across the city, studios open their doors, conversations unfold, and Ballarat comes alive with design, texture, and story—reimagining heritage through a contemporary lens.

At its centre is BOUND—a major exhibition of collaboration hosted in the historic Mining Exchange (10am–4pm, 2–3 & 9–10 May). Showcasing partnerships between makers, designers, manufacturers, and producers, it explores themes of textile, memory, and restorative practices. Developed through a competitive selection and professional development program, these works culminate in a curated exhibition alongside workshops, talks, retail moments, and immersive experiences.

The 2026 program places a thoughtful emphasis on textile, memory, and restoration—reflecting Ballarat’s role as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, and its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and cultural connection.

From free talks to hands-on experiences, the full program is now live:
https://www.creativeballarat.com.au/bcdw26

If this is year one, imagine what’s next.

DesignAndCraft SupportLocal UNESCOCreativeCity

01/05/2026

2 must-visit festivals are coming to Ballarat

Ballarat is turning it on. The historic goldfields city is hosting two standout festivals, offering the perfect excuse for a culture-filled getaway. Expect art, design, great food and plenty of reasons to linger longer in one of regional Victoria’s most character-rich destinations.

DAY 1 Evening

Treat yourself to a pre-dinner drink at Grainery Lane. The saloon-style bar has rich, period-inspired decor (including an original bar top sourced from Chicago) and drinks reminiscent of 1900s classics, crafted with local ingredients.

Head back to Hotel Vera Ballarat for a seven-course feast at Babae Ballarat. This intimate dining room serves up a refined, ever-evolving menu made with exceptional produce and is a truly memorable experience.

By Gemma Kaczerepa for Australian Traveller

Visit Ballarat Visit Melbourne

Ballarat Heritage Festival Ballarat Craft & Design Week

https://www.australiantraveller.com/vic/goldfields/ballarat/ballarat-craft-and-design-week/?

Come for Ballarat Craft and Design Week, stay for a long weekend of dining and exploring all the heritage-rich glory Ballarat has to offer.