The bathroom I almost had to be evicted from
Posted by peggyhora on May 4, 2010
A rubber ducky all to yourself
The Louise (named for the owner’s grandmother) in the Barossa Valley is a small, elegant and award-winning hotel from which I almost had to be evicted because I didn’t want to leave. Each suite is surrounded by a wall with a locked gate hiding a patio and little table and chairs. There’s a huge room with a king sized bed, two overstuffed chairs facing the flat screen and gas fire place, a desk with high speed Internet access, dining area overlooking the vineyards. There’s a sliding glass door adjacent to that room with chaise lounges and a table. Then there’s the bathroom. No, not just any bathroom. A bathroom I would kill for. I want to go home and take a sledge hammer to mine and it’s pretty nice! There are two very modern square sinks, a TV, settees, marble counters for days, all the little amenities including razor and shaving cream. Then comes the tub that has a Jacuzzi of course but also a rack across to hold your goodies including a yellow rubber ducky. It has built in inserts along the side holding candles for a romantic bath. There’s a heated towel rack of course. The shower has a head the size of a turkey platter plus a hand held wand. It’s completely marble on three sides and the floor would be chilly except for the fact that it’s heated. There’s a glass door to the outdoor shower. Kind of like camping –not. The only thing I would change would be the toilet. I was disappointed it wasn’t a washlette. http://thelouise.com.au The restaurant, Appellation, has won numerous awards and is known for its wine cellar. I opted for three courses rather than the tasting menu and had lovely spiced sweet potato slices with almonds and pepitas dressed with a toasted cumin salad dressing. Next came a “risotto” made with barley with leeks and greens. My main was thinly sliced chicken with a special German ham (lachs-schenken) that gave it a smoked flavor and garlic and sage. http://www.appelation.com.au It has a 34-page wine list and one bottle it sells for $755. Why bother with the $5? It was a unique experience and one I’m very glad I had.
