There are some stays that are beautiful.
And then there are the ones that make you slow down enough to actually notice how much you needed the break.
That was Spicers Hidden Vale for us.
I escaped with the children for 24 hours to this beautiful countryside retreat in Grandchester, just over an hour from Brisbane, and I genuinely have not stopped talking about it since.
Set across 12,000 acres of bushland, Spicers Hidden Vale combines the feel of a luxury country retreat with wide open spaces, restored cottages, beautiful views and more than enough room for children to simply be children.
And that was probably my favourite part.
There was no rush.
No packed itinerary.
No feeling that we needed to be doing something every second.
We just arrived, slowed down and enjoyed being together.
Spicers Hidden Vale is located in Grandchester, Queensland, around an hour from Brisbane and approximately an hour from Toowoomba.
It feels far more remote than that, though.
Once you arrive, the city feels very far away.
There are rolling hills, bushland, open paddocks, beautiful gardens and that lovely sense of space that instantly makes you breathe a little deeper.
For us, it was the perfect school-holiday escape without needing to travel particularly far.
Honestly, one of the nicest things about Spicers Hidden Vale is that you don’t have to do very much at all.
We spent time swimming, wandering around the property, playing tennis and simply enjoying the grounds.
The property has two swimming pools, a tennis court, walking trails, mountain biking and other outdoor experiences available, so you can make the stay as active or as relaxed as you like.
For us, the slower moments were just as good as the activities.
The children had room to explore.
We had time to talk.
And instead of rushing between commitments, we could actually enjoy the school holidays together.
As they get older, I’m becoming more and more aware of how quickly these years are passing.
Trips like this have become some of my favourite time with them.
Not because we’re necessarily doing something extraordinary every minute.
But because we’re together.
One of the highlights was a guided nature walk through the property.
The children learnt about the Australian bush, native plants and the surrounding environment as we walked, and it reminded me again how much I love this style of learning.
This is honestly my favourite way for my children to learn.
Not sitting at a desk.
Not because somebody told them they had to memorise something.
But through life.
Together.
They’re walking, asking questions, seeing things for themselves and learning without it really feeling like “learning” at all.
For a family that loves travel and experiences, it felt very us.
And then there was the food.
Do not even get me started.
Homage Restaurant is at the heart of the property and focuses heavily on local, seasonal and sustainable produce. Spicers has long grown produce on site through its market garden and sources from local producers in the surrounding region.
Some of the ingredients used in the kitchen are literally picked from the property itself.
That farm-to-table connection makes the whole dining experience feel even more special.
The food was beautifully presented without feeling overly fussy, and everything tasted incredibly fresh.
Ari’s highlight was the tomahawk steak.
I’m fairly certain that alone secured Spicers Hidden Vale a place on his favourite-hotel list.
For me, the dining was one of those experiences where the setting, the food and the pace of the evening all worked together.
You’re not rushing to get through dinner.
You’re there to enjoy it.
This is something I think Spicers Hidden Vale does particularly well.
It still feels luxurious.
You have beautiful accommodation, incredible food, thoughtful service and a peaceful setting.
But it doesn’t feel like somewhere you need to constantly tell your children to be quiet or sit still.
There is space.
Lots of it.
They can swim.
They can explore.
They can play tennis.
They can wander.
And because the property is so spread out, it somehow manages to feel both refined and relaxed at the same time.
That combination is exactly what I look for in family travel.
I love beautiful hotels.
But I love them even more when my children can actually enjoy themselves too.
This is something I think Spicers Hidden Vale does particularly well.
It still feels luxurious.
You have beautiful accommodation, incredible food, thoughtful service and a peaceful setting.
But it doesn’t feel like somewhere you need to constantly tell your children to be quiet or sit still.
There is space.
Lots of it.
They can swim.
They can explore.
They can play tennis.
They can wander.
And because the property is so spread out, it somehow manages to feel both refined and relaxed at the same time.
That combination is exactly what I look for in family travel.
I love beautiful hotels.
But I love them even more when my children can actually enjoy themselves too.
Spicers Hidden Vale has 34 rooms spread across colonial-style cottages, with accommodation ranging from Valley View Rooms and cottages through to Heritage and Luxury Suites and Luxury Cabins.
The whole property has that country-estate feel rather than a traditional hotel layout.
You’re surrounded by greenery and views instead of corridors and elevators, which really adds to the sense of escape.
Another thing worth knowing if you’re travelling with children is that you can easily turn the stay into a bigger little country getaway.
There are family-friendly attractions and farm experiences in the surrounding area, so if your children love animals, countryside activities and being outdoors, it’s easy to combine the retreat with something more hands-on nearby.
We loved having that contrast — luxury accommodation and beautiful food for me, plenty of outdoor adventure and animal experiences for the kids.
Everyone wins.
I think what stayed with me most was how simple the whole stay felt.
Swim.
Walk.
Eat.
Talk.
Explore.
Repeat.
There was nothing revolutionary about it.
And maybe that was exactly the point.
So much of normal family life is rushing.
School.
Work.
Sport.
Appointments.
Emails.
Packing lunches.
Being somewhere at a certain time.
At Spicers Hidden Vale, all of that disappeared for a little while.
And for 24 hours, I got to simply be with my children.
Those are the trips I’m valuing more and more.
For us, absolutely.
I’d recommend it particularly if you are looking for:
It would also work beautifully for couples, but I really loved seeing how well it translated into a stay with children.
Where do I even begin with this wholesome countryside stay in Queensland?
Spicers Hidden Vale gave us beautiful views, wide open spaces, incredible food and, most importantly, time together.
We swam.
We wandered.
We played tennis.
We learnt about the bush.
We ate unbelievably well.
And we slowed down.
As my children get older, I keep thinking about how quickly this stage of life is disappearing.
I know I won’t remember every school run or every ordinary Tuesday.
But I think I’ll remember these little escapes.
The trips where we had nowhere else to be.
The ones where we talked more.
The ones where I could watch them running around and think:
I’m really going to miss this version of us one day.
And that is exactly why I’ll keep booking them.
Spicers Hidden Vale Grandchester, Queensland
Around one hour from Brisbane
Our stay was hosted in collaboration with Spicers Hidden Vale. As always, all opinions and experiences shared are my own.