What is the hardest part of travelling?  When you love travelling as much as I do the planning, research and making those bookings and final arrangements can be as much fun as the holiday itself.  It leads to a state of excitement about what is to come and makes you smile when you think about all the new places you will visit.

But over the past few years I have come to dread looking for and booking accommodation. I find this a real chore as I read through so many reviews, pictures, pricing and star guides which mean nothing.  I eventually book a hotel in the hope that it will be a pleasant place to stay, clean with comfortable beds and shiny bathrooms.

Comfy Bed at Mornington Cottage

Then when I arrive, 9 times out of 10 I am bitterly disappointed.  Maybe my expectations are too high but I think you should be able to expect cleanliness, comfort and friendly service especially if you are paying and staying in 4-5 star properties.

So when I booked to stay at Mornington Cottage in Mornington (on the Mornington Peninsula) I was quite excited.  The price was great and the initial correspondence I had with Lora (our host) was pleasant, she answered all of my questions and was very helpful.

We (as always I was travelling with my partner Wayne) arrived at Mornington Cottage in the early afternoon and it truly felt like we were visiting a friend.  The entrance through the gate and into the garden was lovely with a view of the big veranda set up for guests to sit and enjoy the outdoors.

Lora greeted us at the door and showed us in.  The entrance hall was warm and homely and there is a large lounge room off to the left for the sole use of guests.  With a fireplace (set up and ready to go), large window looking out to the garden and plenty of reading material this is a place you could sit for hours with a good book, a glass of wine and a roaring fire.  We did get the fire going one cold night, made a platter with goodies we bought from the local shops, took our wine, beer and a game and settled in.  It was such a nice way to spend an evening.

Front Entrance

Up the stairs to the main accommodation there is a landing area with a book shelf and lots of brochures and information about the area.  Lora is also very helpful with ideas of things to do and places to see.  There are two bedrooms, both quite large in size, one with a queen bed and the other room has twin beds.  There is plenty of wardrobe space and bathrobes on the back of the door.

Main Bedroom

The dining/sitting room was just perfect for relaxing over breakfast, of which there was much to choose from.  We had numerous types of cereal, bread, crumpets, fruit basket, jams, butter/spreads, coffee and tea.  There was a toaster, kettle, microwave and fridge.  You really couldn’t ask for more.

Dining

The bathroom was a great size with a bathtub, separate shower and plenty of space to put your toiletries.  The house was also centrally heated and there was a reverse cycle air conditioner/heater in the main bedroom, as well as electric blankets on the bed and a radiator style heater in the dining/sitting room.

I really was in heaven as this lovely home was filled with all the little things that will make your stay pleasurable, comfortable and relaxing.  The house was warm, the bath towels were large and fluffy and the bed was like sleeping on a warm, fluffy, soft cloud.

I must also stress that it is the cleanest place I have stayed in in a very long time and I was so happy and relaxed because of this.  Lora was a great host and each morning after breakfast we would leave our tray of dirty dishes downstairs and when we arrived back the tray would have all our clean dishes on it.

Lora was always ready to help with extra breakfast supplies, information and even just a chat.  We felt very much at home and I would recommend anyone travelling to Mornington to stay at Mornington Cottage.  The guest book reflects how wonderful this home is and how welcoming Lora is as a host.

Breakfast

I hope you can all get out there and enjoy Mornington Cottage some day and if you would like more information please visit www.stayz.com.au where you will find more photos, prices and information.

Second Bedroom