HUNTER VALLEY TO GET FIRST NEW ULTRA-LUXURY RESORT IN 20 YEARS
A new 65-villa luxury resort complete with a longevity spa, vineyard villas and major Gillie & Marc art collection is coming to the Hunter Valley in 2027.
2 min
A major new luxury resort development is set to reshape the Hunter Valley’s high-end tourism offering, with HVL Hotels unveiling plans for Laval Hunter Valley, a 65-villa resort opening in Pokolbin in 2027.
Positioned on the historic 165-acre Lindeman Estate site, Laval is being described as the first new-build luxury resort of its scale in the Hunter Valley in two decades.
The project is expected to generate about $49 million annually in economic activity while supporting up to 479 jobs across construction and ongoing operations.
HVL Hotels Managing Director Dominic Lambrinos said the development aimed to create a new benchmark for regional luxury tourism.
“Laval is more than the answer to a longstanding gap in the Hunter Valley’s luxury accommodation segment,” he said.
“It represents an ambition to do something that hasn’t been done before, on the most magical piece of land within the valley.”
The resort will feature 65 pavilion-style villas positioned throughout a working vineyard landscape, including a Wabi Sabi-inspired Presidential Villa designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Architecture will be led by EJE Architects, with interiors by Some Studio.
The development will also include a private helicopter landing facility, a 25-metre red-tiled pool overlooking Shiraz vines, landscaped meditation meadows, sensory gardens and a major ecological regeneration program involving more than 21,000 plants and 6,782 vines.
One of the resort’s defining features will be its art program, anchored by one of the world’s largest collections of Gillie & Marc sculptures. The collection will include 13 large-scale outdoor works alongside more than 130 in-room and digital pieces integrated throughout the property.
Food and beverage offerings will be led by chef Justin North, with signature restaurant Vallery drawing inspiration from Provence, coastal Spain, southern Italy and Japan. Poolside venue La Vida and a central lobby bar will round out the culinary offering.
A 10,000-bottle cellar and 1,000-label wine list curated by Jon Osbeiston will focus on Hunter Valley heritage alongside international producers.
Wellness will form another key component of the resort, with the two-level Veraia Spa spanning 1,000 square metres and offering 15 treatment rooms, thermal circuits and longevity-focused therapies.
The Hunter Valley project is scheduled to open in the second half of 2027.
As interest rates, inflation and market sentiment fluctuate, investors are being urged to focus on data, not panic.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation CEO Kristina Keneally says Australia’s culture of large-scale philanthropy is becoming more sophisticated as Gold Dinner raises $75.5 million for children’s health, research and innovation.
Château d’Ansembourg and the adjacent Domaine du Presbytère d’Ansembourg are on the market for €37.5 Million
< 1 min
The listing comprises the ancient Château d’Ansembourg and the adjacent Domaine du Presbytère d’Ansembourg, which are within central Luxembourg’s Valley of the Seven Castles.
Château d’Ansembourg is one of the seven castles the valley is named for and is regarded as one of the country’s most important privately owned châteaus, according to Ignace Meuwissen, the founder of Whisper Auctions, who is handling the sale.
The castle sits at the heart of an almost 500-acre estate overlooking the picturesque village of Ansembourg, and records of its existence date to 1135.
Domaine du Presbytère d’Ansembourg, meanwhile, is a more than 110-acre estate comprising a former presbytery, a chapel dating to 1678, a historic school site, forests and meadows.
“Properties of this calibre rarely become available,” Meuwissen said.
“What is being offered today is far more than a chateau. The combination of nearly nine centuries of documented history, 245 hectares of land and a unique location in the Valley of the Seven Castles creates an opportunity that is exceptionally rare within Europe. Opportunities of this scale and heritage value are seldom brought to market and are often preserved within families for generations.”
The properties are being marketed through a “semi-off-market sales process,” with limited information and marketing materials publicly available, and access to the properties is reserved for a small number of pre-qualified candidates, according to Meuwissen.
Both estates have been privately occupied by the same owner, whom Meuwissen declined to identify. Mansion Global could not confirm who the seller is.
Three-Michelin-starred chef Massimiliano Alajmo will host an intimate Mediterranean sailing aboard Crystal Serenity, redefining fine dining at sea.
Now complete, Ophora at Tallawong offers luxury finishes, 10-year defect insurance and standout value from $475,000.
