Lorne accommodation: Grand Pacific Hotel

I can't resist a gorgeous historic building.  So when I was looking for accommodation for an overnight stay in Lorne, I was delighted to find a room in the Grand Pacific Hotel (dating back to 1875).  It was not quite as central as a lot of other accommodation but I will sacrifice location for an amazing cast iron verandah any day.

We were in one of the cheaper rooms.  As we weren't spending much time at the hotel I was happy to pay less for a double room that the website clearly stated did not have a view.  That meant it did not look out onto the sea, though as we were on the second floor, if we craned our necks we could see a bit of sea.  I was surprised that although there wasn't much space around the bed, that we had a rather spacious bathroom.  I spent some time thinking about if they could have designed it so we had more bedroom and less bathroom.  But it was a nice enough room.

What made it all worthwhile, even the two flights of stairs (no elevator), was that we could walk out onto the balcony which had a magnificent view.  I really loved at the West side that the sun shone through the cast iron work to make even more beautiful shadows on the verandah.

The views of the ocean where really wonderful.  If we had had time, we could have sat on a chair with a good book and a spectacular view.  As well as being able to see the beach, we could sit on the beach and gaze up at our hotel in the distance.  This was particularly lovely as we ate fish and chips on the beach in the evening and watched the lights turn on in our hotel like a welcoming beacon.

As we stood on the balcony, this rather bold kookaburra flew down to the railings and sat there rather close to us for a while.  We were also able to watch cockatoos swooping, the setting sun and the pier from up high.

The hotel has a bistro but it seemed to be mostly seafood and steak when we were there (though the website suggests more vegetarian options so maybe we will check it out another time).  There was also Lorne Pier Seafood Restaurant very close by, which according to the website has a few vegetarian dishes.  If we had stayed longer I would have checked out these options.  Or even taken a walk along the pier.  But not on this flying trip.

As I have mentioned, the location wasn't the best.  Ideally I would like a place to park and be able to walk everywhere.  But we had to drive down to the beach.  Not great on a busy day when parking is hard to come by.  However there was a little path down to the beach and I think you could walk along there to the main beach.  Or it would be nice to spend time here with the splendid view.

However be warned that the signs ask you to go slow, even when snakes are nearby!!!!  (I know you are not meant to make sudden moves when you see a snake but I think if I did see one I would be tempted to run like I stole something!)

I hope to return to the Grand Pacific Hotel.  It has lots of lovely period details: the verandah, lead lighting, chandeliers and archways.  These give some charm to the lack of an elevator and the occasional creaking floorboard. And perhaps one day I shall get to see the grand ballroom too.  But for now I am pleased I have sampled some of the splendour.

Grand Pacific Hotel
268 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne
(03) 5289 1609
www.grandpacific.com.au