Stay
Questions guests ask.
We’re glad you’re thinking of staying. Here is everything we get asked most, from check-in times to the foxes. If you can’t find it here, write to us at hotel@inkwellwines.com or ring +61 468 883 776.
Arriving and leaving
What time is check-in?
From 3 pm to 5 pm. Reception is at the cellar door, upstairs: we’ll greet you there and check you in.
Can I check in early?
Sometimes. If the suite is free we can often arrange a different arrival. Contact us during business hours, or by email at least 24 hours before you arrive.
What if I’m arriving after 5 pm?
No trouble at all, as long as we know. Tell us before you travel and we’ll email you a digital key for your phone, so you can let yourself in whenever you arrive. If we don’t hear from you and you don’t check in, the booking is marked as a no-show.
What time is check-out?
10 am.
Can I check out late?
We wish we could. With only three suites, each one has to be ready for the next guests, so check-out stays at 10 am and charges apply when a suite isn’t vacant on time.
What do I do with my key when I leave?
If you don’t see us at check-out, just leave your fob in the black drop box by the tasting room door. Please don’t take it home: fobs that aren’t returned are charged at $75 each.
Is there parking?
Yes, free and outdoors, with one space for each suite. If you’re bringing more than one car, please let us know first. Please use the front entry to reach your car, because the gravel road beside the building is for vineyard vehicles only.
How far are the beach and the airport?
Maslin Beach is five minutes away, and Adelaide Airport is about an hour’s drive.
Who can stay
How many people can stay in a suite?
Two adults, in every suite.
Can we bring children?
Hotel California Road is for adults only, so all guests need to be 18 or over. The suites aren’t suitable for infants or children.
Can I bring my dog?
Guide dogs and accredited assistance animals are welcome, as the law provides: please let us know before you book. We’re not able to host other dogs or pets, including emotional-support and companion animals.
Can a friend come over for a glass of wine?
Not in the suites or the hotel grounds, we’re sorry. With only three suites, the privacy and safety of everyone staying matters a great deal, so they are for registered guests only, at any time. We have to be firm on this one: guests who bring visitors are asked to leave without a refund, and a $500 fee applies. Friends are very welcome upstairs in the tasting room, Tuesday to Sunday, 12 pm to 5 pm.
Do you have an accessible suite?
Yes. One suite can be converted into a wheelchair friendly suite, with a fully equipped accessible bathroom. There are stairs to all our suites, and this one also has ramp access through its deck. Please contact us before you book, so we can reserve the right suite for you.
In your suite
What’s included?
Dolce Gusto coffee, tea, snacks and sweets, and chilled still and sparkling rainwater. Direct bookings also include a continental breakfast, already waiting in your suite.
Each suite also has wardrobes with a fridge, safe, shoe racks, iron and hair dryer, six USB charging docks, a 50-inch TV with a Yamaha sound bar, a choice of five pillow types, split system heating and cooling, Persian rugs and original Aboriginal artwork. There’s a shared courtyard and deck too, for watching the sunset.
Is breakfast included?
When you book direct, yes. It’s a small continental breakfast to kickstart your day, so you can wake at your own pace and head out: fresh fruit and orange juice, yoghurt, a choice of three cereals or mueslis with fresh milk, and sliced seeded bread with butter, cheese, honey and spreads, with two kinds of coffee and two kinds of tea. It’s already waiting in your suite. If your rate doesn’t include breakfast, you can purchase it: ask us with enough notice for us to arrange it.
Is there a bath?
Yes. The suites have a soaking tub at floor to ceiling windows overlooking the vines, and twin rain showers.
Are there robes?
No, the suites don’t have robes. If you like one after the bath, bring your own.
Is the tap water safe to drink?
Yes, and it’s very good. All the taps in the building run filtered rainwater.
Is there wine in the suite?
Yes, a selection of Inkwell wines on a stand, for you to buy during your stay at the same price as at the cellar door. They aren’t complimentary: pay for any bottle you open or take with the QR code provided. Hotel guests get 10% off case purchases if you ask us before you check out.
Is there a kitchen, room service or a restaurant?
No: we are three suites in a vineyard, so there’s no kitchen, room service or concierge. There’s a wonderful choice of places to eat within ten minutes, and we’re happy to suggest a few.
Is there wi-fi?
Yes. You’ll find the details in your suite.
Will someone clean the suite each day?
Yes, every day of your stay, which very few places around here offer. Housekeeping comes between 10 am and 12 pm, and only when the suite is empty or you’ve asked for service.
Can I take towels to the beach?
The white towels stay in the suite, but we’re glad to lend you beach towels. Just ask during tasting room hours.
Why shouldn’t I leave my shoes on the deck?
The foxes will take them. There’s a shoe tray in your suite.
Can I do a wine tasting during my stay?
Yes, on any day but Monday. Our tasting room upstairs is open Tuesday to Sunday, 12 pm to 5 pm, and closed on Mondays, so if you’d like a tasting during your stay, book it for another day.
House rules
A few rules keep the place safe, quiet and lovely for everyone staying. Thank you for helping us keep them.
Can I smoke?
Only in the smoking area, away from the building. The building itself is 100% smoke free, suites and decks included, because smoke travels into the rooms. That covers e-cigarettes too. Smoking inside or on a deck carries a $500 fee.
Can I light candles, incense or essential oils?
Please don’t, inside or out. We live in the middle of a vineyard, and open flames are a real fire risk to it and to the land around us, every day of the year, not only on fire ban days. Incense and oil diffusers are treated the same way as smoking.
Can I scatter rose petals on the bed or in the bath?
We know it’s tempting. Petals stain the linen and carpet and block the bath, so we have to say no, and a $300 fee applies. If you’re planning a special occasion, please talk to us first: we’d love to help.
Can I walk through the vineyard?
We ask you not to. The vineyard is certified organic, so this is for the biosecurity of the vines and for your own safety. Your deck looks straight over it.
Booking and changes
What if my dates are full?
Join our waiting list.
Is it better to book direct?
Yes. Your continental breakfast is included, you can cancel free up to 15 days before you arrive, and you deal with us, not a booking site.
Is there a minimum stay?
No. One night is welcome, when many places in the country ask for two or three.
When do I pay?
A valid credit card secures your booking, and the balance is due at check-in. The name on the card must match the reservation.
What if I need to cancel?
For direct bookings, 15 days or more before arrival is free of charge, 14 to 8 days is 50% of the stay, and 7 days or fewer is 100%. Cancel by email to hotel@inkwellwines.com. Bookings made through other websites follow their own rules.
Can I change my dates?
Write to us as early as you can. Inside the cancellation period a change of date counts as a cancellation, so the same fees apply.
What if I get sick?
We’re sorry if that happens, and we’ll do what we can to soften it. The same cancellation policy applies, but cancel in writing as soon as you can and we’ll re-advertise your suite. If we re-book it for the same dates, we’ll refund what you’ve paid, less any third-party commission. The more notice you give us, the better the chance.
How do hotel gift vouchers work?
Book on our own booking website: choose the voucher rate and enter your voucher details. The site asks for a card but does not charge it. We then check the voucher, and that the name on it matches the booking. Vouchers are for direct bookings only and aren’t refundable.