This pub was actually pretty awesome, but then again since it is across the road from the Stawell…read moreOval, which holds the annual Stawell Gift, a famous foot race, I'm actually not all that surprised. Okay, the beer selection isn't all that great, but I was here during the low season. The staff are quite friendly, and they also have an awesome beer garden out the back. This is definitely the pub to have a beer at if you happen to be in Stawell.

Obviously a hit with locals, all of whom knew each other and mingled freely, but design and decor…read morewise it neither has a modern cool vibe nor have that country pub charm, leaving it somewhere fairly ho-hum in-between. Bar staff were very friendly, and your best bet is to enjoy some sun in the astro-turf work-in-progress beer garden out the back - just try to ignore the barbed wire fence all around making you feel less of a punter and more of an inmate. Otherwise fine, just not very memorable.

Diamonds are a girls best friend, and the Diamond House is a traveling girls friend to get off the…read moreroad and into a hot shower. The general atmosphere of the property is quirky. As seen by the Diamond House itself. The host is gracious and generous. The rooms are 70s hard wood walls, but clean and comfortable. The restaurant offers an interesting mix of Australian country meals infused with a south eastern flair.

A good notch above most standard motels…read more Reception service was very polite, not too chatty or annoying, just polite, friendly and concise. Room had a quality to everything, furniture, DVD player. Power sockets were easy to find and use, and they are at sensible levels, not all floor level as many motels seem to have them. Breakfast was good. On the whole I had a really lovely stay. A little road noise, but that stopped at about 11pm.

So the problem with booking things last minute is that your options run low as most places are…read morealready filled and have no vacancies. This was the case for my spontaneous weekend away. But nonetheless, Stawell happened to be the town in between two places we wanted to go to, Ararat and Halls Gap. Lucky for us, this place was not booked out. They have everything you need. Including a free continental breakfast, it's mainly toast and cereal, but anything is better than starting your day with nothing. It's one less thing to worry about. They also have a indoor spa, a heated pool, a gym. Each room has a mini fridge and microwave and water heater with kitchenware. Oh and shout out to the water pressure in the shower, that was top notch. In the reception are movies to rent. They are fully licensed, and have a restaurant for dinner. It's independent and family run, the couple is so genuine and nice, they easily make you feel welcome and can help with tips on the local area. For a place we were only staying at to sleep, this was a bit dated, but had all the essentials you need for a stay.

Made this place base camp for some time away around halls gap. It's definitely dated (reminds me of…read morea 70s movie) but it was clean and had everything we needed for our stay away. The owners were great. The fact that the spa wasn't functioning was the only downer.