Frequently Asked Questions about the best McLaren Vale accommodation*
* according to Tripadvisor traveller ranking for the McLaren Vale wine region
Where is the best place to stay in the McLaren Vale Wine Region?
Good question … Karawatha Cottages, of course : )
Our self-catering luxury cottages have everything you could possibility want for the best stay in McLaren Vale – whether you are intending to visit for a retreat in the McLaren Vale wine region or plan to venture further out to explore the Fleurieu Peninsula.
We are immensely proud that we have been awarded with the Tripadvisor "Traveller's Choice Best of the Best" in the boutique accommodation category for Australia in 2021, 2022, 2023 and again in 2024 - the only McLaren Vale accommodation to be named in this "Australian Top 25 Boutique Accommodation" list.
What makes Karawatha Cottages different?
With our purpose designed and built cottages, we offer luxurious yet affordable accommodation for McLaren Vale, uniquely located for the region as we are within walking distance to several wineries and restaurants (for lunch)!
With each cottage offering stunning views across vineyards and native bushland to the Mount Lofty Ranges, you will feel like being a world away – but the townships of McLaren Vale (5km) and Willunga (10km) are within a short driving distance and even the glorious beaches of the Fleurieu Coast are only a 15 min drive away.
Each of our cottages – The Ponder, The Unwind and The Relish – is individually furnished, offering you plenty of space with an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area and separate bedroom/s.
We take great pride in our 5-star rating on TripAdvisor, Google and other review sites. Find out why we and our guests believe Karawatha Cottages is the best accommodation in McLaren Vale by reading our glowing reviews
What does Karawatha actually mean?
Karawatha means ‘place of pines’ in the local aboriginal language and as far as we could determine, the original farm property has always been named Karawatha. The original homestead, now the owner’s residence, together with approx. 2.5 acres has been subdivided from the surrounding vineyards before the 1980’s and includes part of the pine forest that is today the backdrop to the cottages.
What type of accommodation do you offer?
We offer three bespoke cottages, our 1-bedroom cottages Unwind and Ponder and our 2-bedroom cottage Relish (which can also be booked in a 1-bedroom configuration). Each cottage is positioned on the hillside on our 2.5-acre property, with a large private deck to benefit from the sublime views over vineyards and native bushland to the Mount Lofty Ranges.
What is included in the rate?
Luxurious Sheridan linen and towels, quality toiletries, a breakfast hamper with bacon, eggs & tomatoes, fresh loaf of bread, homemade granola and jam plus yoghurt, fresh milk, orange juice and butter. Each cottage also features a selection of 8 different types of tea, espresso pods, plus ground coffee for a French Press.
Each booking also includes a premium bottle of one of our favourite local wines.
In cooler months (May to September), your wood combustion heaters (Unwind & Relish Cottage) will be set-up daily and throughout the year (except on declared total fire ban days) you can use our outdoor fire place.
And as we believe it should be - there are no additional surprise charges; our rates always include a standard cleaning upon check-out, there are no additional booking or credit fees appearing at the last moment, ...
Do I need to pay a security deposit or bond?
Apart from group bookings (see our terms and conditions for details) we generally do not charge a security bond, but do reserve the right to do so if we deem it required for your bookings circumstances. Irrespective, we always reserve the right to charge additional cleaning fees, should the cottage be left in an unreasonable state and excess cleaning is needed, or replacement/repair costs for any damages or breakages (see our full terms and conditions for details) .
Do you have any specials?
We don’t run specials as such but do offer reduced rates for Sunday to Thursday stays, outside of school holidays. Please see our rates and availability page for our most current offers.
What is the check-in procedure?
We love our personal meet & greet, giving us the opportunity to share details about our property, provide you with personal recommendations on cellar doors & restaurants to visit – but you can also choose to completely self-check-in.
We live on the property and can always answer your questions also at a later stage.
Approximately one week prior your stay, you will get a pre-arrival e-mail, providing you with all details again of your booking with us, as well giving you the code for the key safe of your cottage.
On the day of arrival and as soon as your cottage is ready for check-in, you will receive a SMS text message, providing you again with your cottage details and the access code.
Check-in is from 3pm, check-out at 10am. If you have booked directly with us on our website or by calling us, you benefit from a late check out at 11am.
What is the check-out procedure?
We hate to see you leave … but obviously there is always a time to depart.
Check-out is as easy as checking in: we just kindly ask you to leave the cottage in a clean and tidy condition, with all dishes washed and stowed away.
No need to take the rubbish along (there is a recycle bin at each cottage) or to strip down the beds – we look after that.
Simply lock the door and put the key back into the key safe.
Do you accept 1-night bookings?
We know, sometimes it feels like it is just the one night that you can get away – but one night really doesn’t do the McLaren Vale region justice and, it simply doesn't work with the type and the standard of accommodation we offer.
We believe there are things in travel you should never compromise: Spacious and clean accommodation, wherever you are staying, is one of those.
With this in mind, we have established each of our cottages to offer a fully equipped kitchen, a large living & dining area, plus a separate bedroom and bathroom - rather than having a small one room studio, motel room, cabin, tiny house or whatever they are called these days.
Keeping our cottages sparkling clean for each and every one of our guests takes time and we therefore cannot offer 1 night rates; all our rates have a two-night minimum stay, with 3-night minimums on select public holidays weekends as shown in our rates and availability calendar.
Considering what the McLaren Vale region and the Fleurieu Peninsula have to offer (see our explore section for inspiration) and that the most common feedback of our guests is that they wish they had more time to spend here, we hope you can consider a longer stay.
Can I invite friends/others to the accommodation?
For the comfort and security of our guests, as well as for us to comply with our license and insurance obligations, there are strictly no visitors allowed on the property at any time. This does include any vendors that intend to be on the property for any period of time, e.g. hair dresser, make-up artists, photographers, etc. - but obviously a simple pick-up or drop-off (e.g. for wine tours, taxis or ubers, bikes or food deliveries, etc.) is always possible.
Only the guests booked (including children and infants) and confirmed on your reservation may stay at the cottages. A change of guests during your stay is not possible (i.e. it is not possible to have different guests staying at different nights throughout your stay).
The Unwind and the Ponder Cottage can accommodate a maximum of 2 guests (plus 1 infant), the Relish Cottage a maximum of 4 guests plus 1 infant (provided it has been booked for 4 guests)
How long will it take to travel to Karawatha Cottages?
From Adelaide airport or CBD allow approx. 45 min to get to Karawatha Cottages; Cape Jervis and the Kangaroo Island ferry terminal are approx. 1hr 10 min from us and the township of McLaren Vale is a short 5 min drive.
Detailed directions are available from our contact page.
Can I purchase a gift certificate or voucher?
Absolutely – there is nothing better to give than the gift of travel. Please see our gift voucher page to purchase online, with vouchers issued instantly for those last-minute gifts. Or contact us if you want to set up a gift registry in your name.
How I can redeem my gift voucher / certificate?
It's easy to redeem your gift voucher and book your stay in McLaren Vale at Karawatha Cottages; best is to first check for availability on our rates & availability page and then e-mail or better even call us (unfortunately our system doesn't allow an online redemption for gift vouchers yet) with your dates and the details of your gift voucher.
Is there WIFI?
We have complimentary internet access, but please bear in mind that we are in a rural location and our fixed wireless NBN access tends to fluctuate.
Why don’t you use the time at Karawatha Cottage to digitally detox and enjoy the good things in life!
Is the accommodation non-smoking?
There is absolutely no smoking permitted inside the cottages, but you may smoke on your private cottage deck.
Do you accommodate children?
We absolutely welcome children of all ages, with infants of 2 years and younger staying free of charge. All children (above 2 years) need to be part of your booking and are included in the maximum number of guests we can accommodate in the cottage. Given the rural nature of our property, please note that children must be supervised at all times.
We can provide a cot free of charge, subject to booking in advance and availability (please include as a special request in your booking).
We can also recommend you wineries to visit that cater to families travelling with children.
Can we bring our pets?
No, we unfortunately cannot accommodate your pets.
Can I book in-room dining?
All of our cottages have a fully equipped kitchen, perfect for your personal use.
We do not provide an in-house dining menu, but your room rate includes a breakfast hamper with provisions, which you will find in your cottage on arrival (and we will re-stock for longer stays) – or you can order a cheese platter or a picnic basket when booking your room.
You can stock up on more supplies at our local McLaren Vale supermarkets (Foodland and Coles) in the McLaren Vale Central shopping complex, where you will also find the local butcher (renowned Ellis Butcher), a bakery and a pharmacy. If you are staying on a Saturday morning, we highly recommend a visit to the Willunga Farmers Market.
Alternatively, you can also make use of the food delivery straight to your cottage from some of our outstanding local restaurants – or pick up a pizza or more from others. You can find details on our restaurant page
At what time is breakfast served?
We are not a hosted Bed & Breakfast, but provide you with a sumptuous breakfast hamper for your stay, allowing you to cook your breakfast in your fully equipped kitchen at your preferred time.
What can I do for food, if I arrive late to Karawatha Cottages?
If you are just looking for something light to eat on your arrival, you can simply order a cheese platter with us (minimum of 48-hour notice); for something more substantial, you can order meals through one of our restaurants (see our restaurant page) and pick them up on your way to your McLaren Vale accommodation.
Can I have a wedding or hen/stag or other party at Karawatha Cottages?
No – we do not cater for parties or events of any kind.
Can I use a cottage to get ready for my wedding and for the bridal party?
We know, the cottages seem to be perfect for this -- and we have really tried to make it work for you (and us and our other guests). But unfortunately, it never did work and had to change to our policy to a very strict "No wedding parties or wedding preparations of any kind".
This includes ‘traditional’ pre-wedding stays with bridesmaids or grooms-men, but also the use of external service providers like hair dressers, make-up artists, etc. for anyone (see also no-visitor policy).
Can I walk to wineries, cellar doors or restaurants?
Yes, you can!
We actually see this as one of our key differentiators, as we always struggled on our frequent visits (before moving here) to find McLaren Vale accommodation that was in walking distance to cellar doors and restaurants and was amongst the vines.
With Geddes Wines, Beresford Wines and the Woodstock Wine Estate, we have 3 cellar doors within 500 m from your cottage, with Beresford also offering light lunch and the Woodstock Wine Estate featuring the Coterie Restaurant.
Within approx. 1km you will find a brewery & restaurant (Vale Brewing Taphouse) and our favourite, the one-hatted restaurant The Currant Shed.
Or, a favourite experience of our guests, simply follow our self-guided ‘Karawatha Cottages Flat Mates Wine Walking Trail’: a leisurely 5km walk that combines up to 6 cellar doors, a brewery and the restaurants above.
See our Wine Trails, Walk & Cycle McLaren Vale and Restaurant pages for more details
Are there any laundry facilities at Karawatha Cottages?
Our cottages do not have a laundry. As a boutique short-term accommodation provider (rather than a holiday rental), we were actually expressly forbidden as part of our development approval to offer any guest laundry facilities.
But, there are public laundromats close by at the McLaren Vale Shopping Centre (washclub Laundromats, right next to Coles) operating 24/7. Their American Dexter washers and dryers allowing you to do all your laundry in a fraction of the time it would take at home and can be paid for directly with debit/credit cards, so there's no need to look for coins.
Do I need a car when staying at Karawatha Cottages?
Not necessarily – a car certainly makes it a lot easier to get to us and to get around, but having said that, you can certainly spend a few days here without having to have a car. Uber is servicing the area, giving you a very cost-efficient way to get around (it just takes a bit longer than in the city for them to arrive) and once here, you can walk to wineries, hire bikes or book a wine tour.
Do you provide bike hire?
Bikes are a great way of exploring the McLaren Vale wine region - with the "Flat to the Vale Trail" starting just 2km from Karawatha Cottages and leading you to McLaren Vale and the Shiraz Trail. Plus, we have a range of bike trail routes (all starting at Karawatha Cottages) mapped out for you, to discover some wonderful cellar doors and restaurants. Check out our Walk & Cycle McLaren Vale page for details.
We don't however have bikes available for hire - but head over to our friends at SA eBikes (standard eBikes) or Deluxe eBikes (vintage look Vallkree fat tyre bikes)and they will deliver (and pick-up again) a perfectly maintained and serviced e-bike straight to your cottage. Or, you can simply walk down the 250m from your cottage to the Beresford Estate Tasting Pavilion and collect your SA eBikes bike there (and save on the home delivery fee)
We do have safe, undercover bike storage for you.
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