65 vineyard villas, a Gillie & Marc sculpture trail and a longevity spa: Laval is coming to Pokolbin in 2027

Laval will be the Hunter Valley’s first new-build luxury resort of its scale in two decades

HVL Hotels has announced Laval Hunter Valley, a 65-villa luxury resort set to open in the second half of 2027 on the 165-acre Lindeman’s Estate in Pokolbin. The property will be the first new-build luxury resort development of this scale in the Hunter Valley in two decades.

Conceived as ‘an international hotel, made in Australia’, Laval will occupy one of the region’s most storied viticultural sites, situated on a serpentine ridgeline with 360-degree views across vineyards, valleys and layered rural terrain. A private helicopter landing facility will enable fly-in access. “Laval is more than the answer to a longstanding gap in the Hunter Valley’s luxury accommodation segment,” said Dominic Lambrinos, Managing Director of HVL Hotels. “It represents an ambition to do something that hasn’t been done before, on the most magical piece of land within the valley.”

Design and setting

Architecture by EJE Architects and interiors by Some Studio will bring a residential character to the 65 pavilion-style villas – including a Wabi Sabi-influenced Presidential Villa by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer – each positioned to frame uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape. Technology is woven throughout via a collaboration with Bang & Olufsen, their only resort partnership in the southern hemisphere, while a fluid arrival system supported by ‘Everywhere People’ will allow guests to check in anywhere on the estate with personal butler service.

Across the grounds, TCL Landscape Architects’ Lisa Howard has designed a sequence of increasingly abstract plant formations – incorporating 21,000 plants across 300 species, a Wollemi pine grove, meadows and meditation areas – as part of a major ecological regeneration program.

Art across the estate

Laval will hold one of the world’s largest collections of Gillie & Marc sculptures, with 13 major works across the grounds alongside more than 130 in-room pieces and digital artworks. At the heart of the estate, a 175-year-old fig tree will serve as a gathering point for The Wild Banquet of Love – a monumental bronze installation in which the artists’ signature characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, host a table of endangered animals, with four seats left open as an invitation for guests to join.

Food and wine

Chef Justin North will lead Laval’s culinary program, centred on signature restaurant Vallery. An evolving à la carte menu will draw on a Mediterranean expression of Provence, coastal Spain and Southern Italy, with an onsite kitchen garden supplying heirloom varieties and local botanicals directly to the kitchen. Poolside bar and restaurant La Vida, meanwhile, will bring coastal Cali-Mex flavours, DJ-led afternoons and sunset drinks beside a 25-metre red-tiled pool framed by the Shiraz Vineyard. A 10,000-bottle cellar and 1,000-strong wine list curated by Jon Osbeiston will emphasise Hunter Valley Shiraz and Semillon alongside rare private collections and Coravin by-the-glass access.

Wellness

The 1,000-square-metre Veraia Spa will offer 15 treatment rooms across two levels, focused on longevity, recovery and regeneration. Designed by Nikki Lambrinos, it will introduce medical-grade treatments not previously available in Australia, alongside thermal circuits, a sauna and salt room – each with panoramic vineyard views. Landscaped meditation meadows, yoga platforms and sensory gardens will extend the wellness experience into the estate.

lavalhuntervalley.com.au