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Luxury hotel with sustainability focus set to open in Ballarat

A brand new luxury hotel is set to open its doors in Ballarat next year, embracing a sustainability path less travelled.

Owned and restored by David Cook-Doulton and Martin Shew – the creative gurus behind the city’s Lascelles accommodation brand – Hotel Vera is set to be an all-embracing experience where guests can relish in refined luxury, abounding sleekness and ultimate slowness.

The hotel has been named after David’s maternal grandmother, who he says exuded unconditional love and grace.

‘There are those rare people who touch our lives in very special ways. They guide us with their love, wisdom and humanity,’ David explains. ‘When I think of love, I see my grandmother’s face, smiling, reaching for an embrace. I want this hotel to embody this unassuming, yet extraordinary woman.’

According to David and Martin, the virtue of grace lies at the heart of the hotel, since this was one of Vera’s most striking attributes. That being said, both David and Martin have ensured their latest venture has been founded on sustainability.

‘Injecting the hotel experience with a commitment to eco-friendly practices has been of paramount importance to us,’ Martin says.

We understand that true luxury needs to be founded on environmental integrity.

The couple’s commitment to sustainability is made evident through the restoration of an historic building, the recycling of demolished materials, the lush on-site gardens, the paddock-to-plate ethos, the installation of solar panels, and also through their partnering with Ballarat social enterprise Fifteen Trees which planted 250 trees in order to help offset the impact of the hotel build. 

‘Fifteen Trees is also set to plant one tree for every guest who books in at the hotel. These trees will all be planted together in the region, allowing guests to return to the space at a later date and remember their stay more vividly,’ Martin says.

‘We are focusing a lot on sense memory through this enterprise, and hope that the Vera experience will live on with our guests long after they’ve departed.’

Boasting seven personalised suites, each a sanctuary in its own right, as well as its very own high-end restaurant and even a car stacker and EV charger, this hotel is a one-of-a-kind luxury offering in the Ballarat accommodation space.

Hotel Vera is set to open its doors in April 2022.


THE DETAILS

WHAT: Hotel Vera
WHEN: Opening April 2022
FIND OUT MORE: hotelvera.com.au

We wish to acknowledge the Wadawurrung people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.
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